Apple will unveil three new flagship phones in September with the iPhone 7S and 7S Plus likely to hit the market shortly after revelation. But the most premium of the bunch, dubbed as the iPhone 8, will not start shipping out until December 2017, a new report said.

Apple watcher Brian White said in a new research note that would-be buyers of the iPhone 8, also referred to as iPhone X, iPhone Pro and iPhone Edition, will have to wait "several weeks" after the device intro before getting their hands on the re-engineered device. White is convinced, according to MacRumors, that Apple will give a sneak peek of the device in September but the actual rollout will be delayed.

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The iPhone 8 unboxing could be delayed up to December this year, the analyst suggested, adding that production issues are to be blamed.

"Our contact strongly believes the 5.8-inch iPhone 8 will be delayed by several weeks due to challenges around the 3D sensing technology, but still in time for the December holidays," White was reported by MacRumors as saying.

The analyst stressed that the source of his information was "a diligent ... smartphone contact in the supply chain data points," that the delayed iPhone 8 arrival is highly likely to happen.

White's projection is the latest in the string of purported pushed backs that will reportedly hamper the next iPhone release. Earlier, Ming-chi Kuo of KGI Securities expressed fear that the iPhone 8 will not come out as scheduled duo to supply chain and production problems.

Specifically, Kuo said the iPhone 8 mass production is being bogged down by mix of assembly and supply problems affecting the device's OLED panel and 3D technology. As a result, Apple manufacturing partners will not be able to commence production activities until September.

However, the two other 2017 iPhones will be out as expected in September. White said the iPhone 7S and 7S Plus will be officially announced with the iPhone 8 in the month and pre-order for the three models will begin immediately.

But as mentioned, the actual iPhone 8 release date will have to wait as Apple fans will be treated first with the 7S and 7S Plus iterations.