We hate to hear rumors of a delay to the iPhone 15 release date, but unfortunately there's a new claim from leaker Revegnus that the iPhone 15 Pro Max (possibly named the iPhone 15 Ultra instead) could be held back by up to 4 weeks.
With the Apple September event coming September 12, it's assumed that the new iPhones will go on sale from September 22, two Fridays after the announcement as per usual. But a four-week delay could mean it's not until late October that iPhone buyers can get a hold of a Pro Max model.
The yield issues with Sony, the supplier of image sensors for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, are severe. As a result, the release date of the iPhone 15 Pro Max could be delayed by up to approximately 4 weeks.September 5, 2023
Apple's supposedly using the same Sony-made image sensors as it used on the iPhone 14 series, Revegnus explains in a subsequent tweet. But this time they're apparently being built with a different process that's causing problems with the yield — the percentage of usable components made during a specific production run.
To back up their point, Revegnus cites a TrendForce report that seems to confirm there are at least problems with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus' sensor yield, which may affect overall production. While these obviously aren't the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the Pro Max could still suffer a delay if it's using the same troublesome cameras, and a delay that would be more keenly felt at launch since early iPhone sales are typically for the Pro/Pro Max models.
Apple's delayed the retail launch of certain iPhone models before. We saw this last year in fact, when the iPhone 14 Plus launched almost a month after the other iPhone 14s. So there's unfortunately precedent for these delays, with Apple reacting by pushing the new iPhone release date down the road.
Other iPhone 15 delay rumors
It's a pain to admit, but the claims about delays to at least some iPhone 15 models have been piling up. The details differ between them, with one saying there's a month-long delay for the iPhone 15 Pro Max because of the periscope camera (a problem corroborated by multiple sources). There was another report alleging that there are display production problems for the Pro models, and another claiming that the iPhone 15 series as a whole will be delayed generally. But these, plus Revegnus' new claim, do make the overall possibility of an iPhone 15 delay hard to ignore.
That said, prominent Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims the iPhone 15 Pro Max is already shipping and everything's on track. So someone is going wind up being wrong.
At least the Apple Wonderlust event has been announced for Tuesday 12th already, so us finding out which iPhone 15 features are confirmed won't be delayed. Key ones to keep an eye out for include new USB-C charging ports, an Action button on the Pro models replacing the mute switch, and the Pro and Pro Max switching from a stainless steel band to a stronger and ligher titanium deisgn.
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