iPhone 15 Release Could Be Delayed Until October, Pro Models May Have Fewer Units Available at Launch: Reports
According to a Bank of America (BoA) analyst, Wamsi Mohan, the iPhone 15 series of smartphones may face a delay in its launch this year. Typically, Apple unveils its new iPhone generation in September, with availability for purchase shortly after. However, similar to the iPhone 12 series launch in 2020, the iPhone 15 series could also experience a delay. The BoA analyst suggests that the iPhone 15 series might hit the markets only in October, instead of the usual September timeframe.
The delay in the iPhone 15's launch could have an impact on Apple's September quarter. This information comes from supply chain audits conducted by the analyst. As a result of the potential delay, there are concerns that iPhone sales for the fiscal year ending September 2023 could be lower than expected.
In addition to the possible delay, there are reports of screen manufacturing issues affecting the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models. This could lead to a shortage of these models at launch in September.
It's worth noting that Wamsi Mohan had previously made fairly accurate predictions about the iPhone 12 launch in 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on the supply chain, the shipping of the iPhone 12 Pro was pushed to late October, and the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max started shipping in the second week of November.
According to a report by The Information, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are expected to be officially announced in September. However, there might be a shortage of these models at the time of launch due to issues with screen manufacturing.
Apple's display suppliers are trying to use a new manufacturing process for the Pro models to reduce the bezel width and create slightly larger screens compared to previous models. LG Display, one of the suppliers, is facing problems in the manufacturing process, with the screens failing a reliability test when fused to the metal shell of the Pro models.
To address this issue, Apple has made design tweaks to the displays made by LG, enabling them to pass the reliability test. Additionally, Apple is said to have Samsung-made displays that can be used for assembly. Despite these efforts, there might still be a shortage of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max at the time of their launch in September.
In the past, Apple launched its new iPhone models in September, but some models like the iPhone X and iPhone XR were introduced in September and reached stores a little later.
As per previous reports, the iPhone 15 series, which includes the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max models, is expected to be officially announced in September. However, the shortage of the Pro models might affect the availability of the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which is the most premium model in the series.