All signs point to a September date for Apple's launch of the next generation iPhone 15 series. Anticipation is rising with each passing day, where leaks in the last couple of weeks indicate substantial change to this year’s lineup of iPhones — including a dummy unit showing off the iPhone 15 Pro’s new USB-C port and Action button.
Now there’s even more indication of an impending iPhone 15 launch in the form of on a report indicating that production is underway. That, along with a recently uncovered regulatory filing, suggests a September iPhone 15 announcement is very much on track.
There’s a ton of buzz with this year’s iPhone announcement for many reasons, but it’s especially true for the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. The latter’s been hyped as the biggest leap for an Apple handset since the iPhone X, which is saying a lot when you think how that phone radically shifted the design language and features for the series. This year’s top-of-the-line models sound like worthy follow ups that should make for an interesting race for the rest of the year.
Here’s what we know about the new iPhone 15 production based on the latest reports.
Regulatory filing indicates impending announcement
You know a device is nearing release whenever companies file paperwork with local regulatory agencies. The team over at MySmartPrice uncovered a regulatory filing this week under the mobile phones product category in the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) database — essentially India's equivalent of the U.S. FCC. That filing revealed an “Apple smartphone with the model number A3094,” which could presumably be any of the iPhone 15 models Apple’s expected to announce.
If we’re to go back to last year and revisit the events leading up to the iPhone 14’s announcement, it showed how a different regulatory filing was uncovered in the same Indian regulatory database. Eventually, it was revealed to be the standard iPhone 14 — and the database was subsequently updated with the rest of the iPhones. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to determine that we’re nearing an iPhone 15 release based on this new bit of data.
That’s because it’s quite common for companies to file regulatory applications for its devices ahead of launch. Many FCC filings have uncovered yet-to-be released devices, so it’s a safe assumption that this A3094 model number is any one of the new iPhones.
Production begins in India, continues in China
Coincidentally enough, it appears as though iPhone 15 production is well underway. Bloomberg reports that Foxconn, one of Apple's contractors, also started production in its India facility — joining the production that already happened in China.
The goal for Apple is to narrow the gap between its two assembly locations. Its India manufacturing hub accounted for about 7% of the total Phone 14 units that were produced in March of this year. People familiar with the matter said that Apple is looking to increase the volume levels from its India factory. This new report again indicates that we’re at the cusp of an iPhone announcement.
Increasing the volume levels is going to be critical for Apple, especially if there will be big iPhone 15 demand from consumers. We saw how Apple struggled to keep up with the demand last fall with its iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max models, so this could be a measure to prevent the same situation from happening again. That shortage was the driving factor in Apple’s 8% drop in iPhone 14 sales when the company announced its holiday earnings back in February of this year.
By increasing the production from its India production plant, Apple would be in a better position to meet market demand for its new iPhone 15. Without question, Apple will need to ramp up its iPhone 15 production when you consider how there’s even more of a revenue opportunity with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which is reportedly in line for a price increase from the iPhone 14 Pro Max's $1,099 cost.
We also have to factor in competing devices on the horizon, like Google’s new Pixel 8 phones, along with current foldables from Samsung — which is all making for some serious competition leading up to the critical holiday season.
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