美國銀行美林證券的分析師沃姆?！つ獫h和斯特凡諾·帕斯卡爾在上周三的備忘錄中告知投資者，傳聞中的蘋果旗艦智能機iPhone 8可能會因為“技術問題”延期三到四周。美國全國廣播公司財經頻道之前報道了他們的備忘錄，他們表示蘋果“正在處理”與供應商合作伙伴的問題。之前傳聞蘋果考慮在9月給手機開發布會，但目前分析師認為這款手機可能會推遲到10月發布。

分析師造訪了蘋果的供應鏈，并表示他們的制造合作商沒法讓iPhone的指紋傳感器和3D掃描技術正常工作。據說，指紋傳感器將集成在屏幕上，而不是像之前一樣，位于手機正面的物理按鈕之上，這在蘋果產品中尚屬首次。3D掃描技術可用于確認身份，只需要掃描用戶的臉，就能讓他們使用iPhone的應用。

蘋果今年可能會推出三款新的iPhone機型，相關傳聞已經有了幾個月。其中兩款可能是iPhone 7s和iPhone 7s Plus，它們對去年iPhone 7和iPhone 7 Plus進行了小幅升級。第三款據信是iPhone 8。它可能會有完全不同的設計，包括全玻璃機架，其屏幕可能會幾乎完全覆蓋機身正面。

蘋果選擇的屏幕迫使他們考慮把指紋傳感器和3D掃描放在屏幕上。據說，這種新設計會淘汰屏幕下方的區域，而在之前版本的iPhone上，指紋傳感器正是位于此處。蘋果需要使用3D掃描和指紋傳感器來鑒定用戶，給他們開放應用的使用權，并讓用戶利用移動支付服務Apple Pay付款。

分析師并未提到蘋果和供應商將在何時解決iPhone的問題，也沒說蘋果是否設立了預計的發布日期。

然而，供應鏈的問題致使分析師把蘋果2017財年的iPhone銷量預期下調到了2.081億部，之前他們預測的出貨量是2.191億部。（財富中文網）??

譯者：嚴匡正

Bank of America Merrill Lynch analysts Wamsi Mohan and Stefano Pascale told investors in a note on Wednesday that Apple's rumored flagship smartphone, the iPhone 8, could be delayed between three and four weeks due to "technology issues." The analysts, whose note was earlier reported on by CNBC, said that Apple is "working through" the problems with its supplier partners. Apple has been rumored to be considering a September release for the smartphone. The analysts now suggest the smartphone could be released in October.

According to the analysts, who visited the Apple supply chain, its manufacturing partners are having trouble getting the iPhone's fingerprint sensor and 3D-scanning technology working. The fingerprint sensor is said to be the first from Apple that would be integrated into its screen instead of added to a physical button that previously sat on the front of the smartphone. The 3D-scanning technology would be used to verify a person's identity and allow him or her access to the iPhone's software by scanning his or her face.

Apple has been rumored for months to be working on three new iPhones this year. Two of those handsets, believed to be known as the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus, will offer minor updates over last year's iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The third, believed to be known as iPhone 8, could come with a completely different design featuring an all-glass chassis. It could also have a screen that nearly entirely covers its face.

The iPhone maker's screen choice has forced Apple to consider the display-based fingerprint sensor and 3D scanner. The new design will reportedly eliminate the area below the screen where the fingerprint sensor has been located in earlier iPhones. Apple then needs to use the 3D scanner and fingerprint sensor to authenticate users for access to the handset's software, as well as make payments with its mobile-payment service Apple Pay.

The analysts didn't say when Apple and its suppliers might be able to fix the iPhone's problems. They also didn't say whether Apple has set an expected release date.

However, the supply chain problems caused them to cut their iPhone sales forecasts for Apple's 2017 fiscal year to 208.1 million. The analysts had anticipated 219.1 million iPhone shipments during the period.