Analyst details production issues affecting the Apple iPhone 15 Pro

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo's latest report shares more information on the production issues affecting the Apple iPhone 15 Pro models.

Kuo says the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max was the "last project to kick off" due to four main issues with the stacked CMOS image sensor (CIS), display panels, batteries, and titanium frames.

The stacked CIS affects the non-Pro models as well as Apple is reportedly using 48MP cameras on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. With the entire iPhone 15 lineup using 48MP cameras, Sony is said to be struggling to meet the camera demand. While the stacked CIS issue has been resolved by ramping up production capacity, the issue is estimated to still affect about 10 - 15% of shipments of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus.

Aside from the stacked CIS issue, Apple is said to be facing a separate camera issue for the iPhone 15 Pro Max. TheElec claims the yield rates of the periscope lens module are below expectations, and this might impact production and initial stock availability.

The display panel issue has been reported extensively over the past few years. The Information shared in July that display panels from LG failed the reliability tests, which forced Apple to tweak its design and allocate more orders to Samsung Display to make up for the shortfall. Kuo says the changing of supplier shipment ratio helped to resolve the panel issue. Bloomberg also believed the display manufacturing issues would be fixed in a couple of weeks.

Apple ran into an issue with the iPhone 15 batteries; they expanded when exposed to heat. Kuo says the battery issue has been fixed primarily by higher production yield.

As for the titanium frame on the iPhone 15 Pro models, Kuo claims Apple faced "high processing difficulty and significant design changes during development". Kuo believes Apple's last-minute decision to drop the solid-state button design is responsible for the delay in the mass production. There were reports earlier this year of Apple running into unspecified "design issues" and the likelihood of the solid-state design being dropped. Apple supplier Cirrus Logic later confirmed indirectly on its cancellation.

Every new design update will have its own set of unexpected development and design issues, and the iPhone 15 lineup is no different. While the standard iPhone 15 models are likely to be available at launch, consumers should expect three to four weeks of delay in the retail availability of the iPhone 15 Pro Max model. Even then, there might be limited quantities of the iPhone 15 Pro models at launch.

Apple is set to announce the iPhone 15 lineup on 12 September alongside the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2 and new AirPods with USB-C.

Source: @mingchikuo via 9to5Mac

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