iPhone 8 could not be widely available until 2018, report indicates

The phones have until now come out on a fairly reliable annual schedule

An iPhone is displayed in a store in London (Reuters)

iPhone fans might not be able to get their hands on the new one until 2018.

The new handsets are likely to be pushed back until at least late in the new year, according to a new report from a reliable analyst.

Mass production of the new phone might not start until October or November, said Ming-Chi Kuo, according to rumours site 9to5mac.

It adds to mounting fears that the new handset could be delayed or at least very hard to get hold of for first few months that it would normally be out.

Apple launches its new phones in September and has in recent years fallen into a reliable pattern of doing so. But this year might mark the first time that it departs from that schedule – apparently at least in part because of the innovative design of the new phone.

The iPhone 8 is rumoured to include a new display that reaches almost entirely across the front of the phone, getting rid of the iconic home button from the button. It might also include wireless charging and a special camera in the front that can sense in 3D and understand the depth of what it is looking at.

Apple is ordering a range of new components to allow those new features, and that is contributing to delays and shortages in having the phones ready on time, Mr Kuo reported.

The company is expected to launch a new iPhone 7s, alongside the 8, at an event in September. The 7s is likely to be more on time, but won't include the same headline features that will mark the iPhone 8 as potentially the most innovative handset Apple has ever made.