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Apple's 'iPhone 8,' other high-end smartphones may hurt PC shipments

The glut of high-end smartphones expected to ship in the second half of 2017 — including Apple's "iPhone 8" and "7s" — may put such a heavy strain on parts suppliers that it will actually affect PC shipments, according to a report.

Ongoing shortages are only expected to worsen, supply chain sources told DigiTimes on Tuesday. On top of new iPhones coming this fall, LG is set to premiere its latest flagship, the V30, while Samsung is likely to announce the Galaxy Note 8 on Aug. 23, shipping it shortly thereafter. Following those launches, smaller phone vendors may prolong the situation by shipping phones with similar or even superior hardware.

Some companies are said to be overbooking parts to ensure consistent supplies. It's not clear if Apple is one of them, but the company is typically the highest-profile client for any given supplier. Regardless overbooking is said to be causing DRAM prices to rise, and may cause a-Si (amorphous silicon) panel costs to go up as well.

On Monday DigiTimes indicated that chip shipments are already unusually low for non-Apple products, likely because some companies are waiting to see what new iPhones will offer.

The "iPhone 8" is generally predicted to feature a 5.8-inch, edge-to-edge OLED display, replacing a physical home button with a virtual one. It should also come equipped with an "A11" processor, wireless charging, 3D facial recognition, and possibly a rear-facing laser for autofocus and augmented reality purposes.

The "iPhone 7s" and "7s Plus" should share some "8" technologies, like wireless charging, but rely on 4.7- and 5.5-inch LCD displays and retain physical home buttons.