Apple is expected to release the iPhone X on November 3, even though analysts have revealed that there may be a slight delay in the actual shipping of the smartphone. A couple of days ago, a Brightwire report claimed that the iPhone X's yield rates have dropped below 10 percent. However, to make up for the low production run, Apple is expected to go into a "supercycle" soon. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has revealed though that Apple will only be able to really start this "supercycle" in 2018 and not before.

What will cause the delay?

The iPhone X will sport a facial recognition technology in place of the Touch ID sensor.

This new technology will be driven by the TrueDepth front-facing camera, which can convert a 2D picture into a 3D scanning system. While the feature sounds like a great innovation, it has also been one of the primary reasons for the delayed production.

However, Ming-Chi Kuo has now revealed that there may be a different reason behind the delay of the so-called 'supercycle'. He feels that Apple is saving most of the worthwhile features for the 2018 iPhone lineup. He says that the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X are not appealing enough when compared to the handsets that Apple has planned for 2018.

In his statement, Kuo predicts three things. Firstly, he says that Apple will be able to figure out the production issues ranging from the TrueDepth camera in the early parts of 2018.

Secondly, he claims that the smartphones released next year will have a longer presence in the markets when compared to the iPhones released in 2017. Finally, Kuo reveals that the design, product mix, and specifications of the 2018 iPhones will be much more competitive than the ones that came out this year.

Kuo says that according to his predictions, the iPhone shipments in 2017 is likely to be between 210 million to 220 million units worldwide.

He claims that the sales in 2018 are expected to increase. Next year, Apple may be able to ship around 245 million to 255 million iPhones. He finishes his statement by claiming that the iPhone 8 Plus sales were better than what Apple had expected.

iPhone X specs and features

The upcoming iPhone X comes with a 5.7-inch OLED display, which is powered by the A11 Bionic chipset.

The handset sports dual 12-megapixel rear-facing cameras. The iPhone X will be the first ever edge-to-edge display iPhone and houses a small notch on the top portion of the screen for housing the front-facing camera and other lenses.