An internal memo at Apple, specifically aimed at the AppleCare team, has told staff they can't take any holiday between 17 September and 4 November, which could suggest when we'll see the new iPhones go on sale.

The memo was leaked by Benjamin Geskin, who has been responsible for coming up with some renders of the iPhone 8 based on other rumours and leaks. It has the lines "As you know, there are new product announcements and launches in September. In anticipation of the upcoming events and the corresponding heightened call volume expected, we will be increasing our staff across all of our programs over the summer".

"We will be imposing Black Out Days in all AppleCare programs for Advisors and Leaders. The upcoming Black Out Days will be September 17 through November 4". It ends "absences are unacceptable".


We already expected Apple would unveil the new iPhone 7s and 7s Plus in September, as it would follow its yearly release schedule. We're also expecting the iPhone 8 to be held aloft on stage as well. What we don't know is when the phones will actually be available, until now.

The iPhone 7s and 7s Plus should be available to buy a couple of weeks after the official announcement. 17 September is a Sunday, so either the keynote announcement will be before this date, and the phones will begin shipping from 18 September, or the event will be around the same time and the phones will be shipped out faster than usual. But there are reports to suggest the iPhone 8 will be delayed a bit due to supply issues with the OLED panels.

We've previously heard that the iPhone 8 would be launched nearer to November, and that tallies up with this internal memo. 4 November is a Saturday, so the iPhone 8 may be available in the week preceding. The OLED-touting iPhone may only be available in limited supply when it does launch too, so you could have a serious wait on your hands if you want to snap one up.

The Touch ID sensor could be one reason for the delay, if there is one at all, as it's just been reported that it will in fact be embedded into the display. This is thanks to a new optical fingerprint sensor technology that will display the sensor as a virtual button in the bottom section of the screen.

The leak of the internal memo has given us our best evidence yet when it comes to working out the iPhone's launch date, and given the iPhone 8 is expected to cost around $1,000, we suggest you start saving now.