The next iPhone mass production start is reportedly happening earlier than usual, likely anytime in June 2017, a new report said. The latest development points to two possible scenarios - that the iPhone 8 will indeed unpack with a build and design makeover not seen in recent years or release date of the 2017 Apple (AAPL) flagship phone is set ahead of schedule.

If the former will be the case then a June manufacturing start is unsurprising at all. As replacement for the iPhone 7, which sports an industrial design that dates back two iPhone generations ago, the iPhone 8 will banner "radical design changes," so firing up the production line earlier this year makes sense.

"An earlier production date will give Apple time to improve yield rates and work out manufacturing issues, and could potentially lead to better supply when the iPhone 8 launches in September," the report added.

It appears that Apple is expecting the 2017 iPhone to become the brand's biggest release as it marks its tenth year anniversary. Barron's reported that in looking to commence the wholesale iPhone production in June Apple is also gunning to assemble up to 48 million new units, the majority of which are fresh iPhone 8s ready to ship out.

And the projection that the iPhone 8 will fly off the shelves once it becomes available later in the year is anchored on the notion that Apple fans and smartphone buyers in general will bite into the new design language of the device. Speculations are rife that the next iPhone is an all-glass device - the glass-made front and rear panels sandwiching a stainless/aluminum chassis that holds inner components - with an all-screen profile, thanks to a wraparound OLED display, that also boasts of "invisible" control buttons, including the Home key.

The iPhone 8 will also be the most powerful ever, likely having the combo of 10-nanometer A11 processor and 4GB of RAM as main device engine. And it will be iOS 11, which Apple is expected to reveal via the June 2017 WWDC, that will run the next iPhone show.

As for an earlier release date or ahead of the usual September debut for new iPhone models, Barron's said there is "no indication that there has been any change in release plans for the iPhone 8," meaning introduction and availability of the next iPhone is bound to make use of the release cycles seen in the past few years.

Source: yibada