iPhone 15 Pro Max — expected to debut on September 12 at Apple’s upcoming launch event — could be delayed by a few weeks. According to details shared by a tipster on X (formerly known as Twitter), Apple might push the release of the top-of-the-line iPhone model due to yield issues. Alongside four new iPhone models, the company is also tipped to unveil the Apple Watch Series 9, the second-generation Apple Watch Ultra, and a refreshed AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) with a USB Type-C port.
Tipster Revegnus (@Tech_Reve) states in a post on X that the iPhone 15 Pro Max release date could be “delayed by up to approximately 4 weeks” due to “severe” yield issues related to the production of image sensors for the high-end smartphone. Later this month, Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
According to an earlier report, Apple supplier Sony was struggling from “insufficient production capacity”, amid an increased demand for 48-megapixel cameras — this year, Apple is tipped to equip all iPhone 15 models with the 48-megapixel primary camera that debuted on the iPhone 14 Pro models.
It is worth noting that the tipster is not the first to predict a delay in production of the top-of-the-line model. TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed in a Medium post last week that Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max project was “the last to kick off”, and mass production for the handset was behind other models in the series.
The upcoming iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will reportedly also cost a lot more than their predecessors. This is said to be due to the rumoured switch to a titanium chassis from stainless steel, while the Pro Max model is also tipped to feature a periscope camera that could offer improved optical zoom compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Kuo has also predicted that Apple is expected to ship up to 225 million units in 2023 which could lead to the brand surpassing Samsung as the world’s largest smartphone maker. The analyst also claims that the iPhone maker is looking to ship 250 million units in 2024, which could make cement the company’s position at the top next year.