Apple is facing delays manufacturing the iPhone 5S, originally slated for a late-summer announcement, reports Reuters.

Specifically, the report says Apple is having trouble finding a coating material that doesn’t interfere with the long-rumoured fingerprint sensor that Apple is set to include on the iPhone 5S. There’s no word on what specific use the fingerprint sensor will bring to the iOS platform, but it may be the main selling point for the handset that will otherwise be a spec upgrade.

Wide-scale production of the iPhone 5S was originally slated for June, but that may be slipping. Potentially, the production delay might mean a later announcement for the next-generation handset.

Production issues are nothing new for the folks at Apple, who saw limited supply of the iPhone 5, along with several issues with the aluminum on the handset.

Reuters further adds to past rumours that Apple is working on a cheaper model of the iPhone to pitch to emerging markets. The publication says the budget handset will have a 4-inch screen, be made of plastic, and won’t feature the new fingerprint technology that the iPhone 5S will have.

Past fingerprint technology, the iPhone 5S is rumoured to feature a 12 or 13-megapixel camera sensor, upgraded processor for faster speeds, and of course, iOS 7 that will presumably be announced at WWDC in June. The features that iOS 7 will include haven't been widely reported, but it's safe to say some fingerprint integration will be present. 

In related Apple news, a new research note from Citigroup Capital Markets claims Apple is set to announce a Retina MacBook Air in the near future.

The silence from the folks in Cupertino might be close to ending.