iPhone 8 release date: New phone will arrive on time, though there might be a rush to get hold of it, says report

Rumours that the new iPhone could be delayed are unfounded, according to an authoritative new report. But that doesn't mean it's going to be easy to get one.

The new phone will be launched in mid-September alongside the less spectacular iPhone 7s, according to a report from usually reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Some had suggested that the iPhone 8 – the top of the line model that will include a range of new features – could be delayed by weeks or even months, pushing it all the way to December.

But Apple will have all three phones ready to go for a launch event in mid-September as usual, the report suggested. And they will all go on sale on the same date, which will probably come about a week and a half after they're first shown off.

But Mr Kuo suggested that the new iPhone 8 will still be in extremely short supply when it hits the shelves, suggesting that it might sell out incredibly quickly. The company is only expected to make between two and four million of the phones this quarter, he said – a small number, given that Apple usually sells more than 200 million phones each year.

That production will increase quickly through 2017, meaning that Apple will have far more of the phones ready to go on sale towards the end of the year and into 2018. The high-end iPhone 8 or iPhone Pro is expected to eventually sell more than either the iPhone 7s and 7s Plus, he said.

Apple is expected to unveil three iPhones at its traditional launch event in September. They will include the iPhone 7s and 7s Plus, as expected – but also a whole new model, with a new design, that could be referred to as the iPhone 8, the iPhone Pro or something else entirely.

The iPhone 8 is expected to be far more expensive than any handset before, costing as much as $1,400. For that, customers will get hold of a range of new features, including a display that sweeps all the way across the front of the handset and special depth-sensing technology.

The new phone will come in just three colours: black, silver and gold, he said. That is relatively conservative for Apple, but it might also choose to release new features in the middle of the year, like it did with its red iPhone.

Mr Kuo also suggested that all of the new phone models will include fast charging, which is currently only available in the iPad Pro. Like with the tablet, it's likely it will need a special wire and plug to actually use it, though.

Apple appeared to suggest during its most recent earnings call that the phone would be ready. It told analysts that it was expecting to make more money than predicted in the next quarter – something that would be very unlikely to happen if the phone was going to be delayed.

The company initially appeared to have done a great job at keeping any details of the iPhone 8 under wraps this year. But that was largely spoiled in recent weeks when someone at Apple accidentally uploaded software that included many details of the new phones.