Apple and its suppliers are allegedly facing production issues pertaining to manufacturing display panels for the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, according to industry sources who spoke to The Information in a new report.
The report explains that display panel suppliers – likely Samsung Display and LG Display – are using a new manufacturing process for displays allocated to Apple’s upcoming premium iPhones. The new process is specifically tailored to “dramatically narrow” the width of the bezel surrounding the display, something which previous leaks have extensively covered before. The Information adds that initial shipments and stock of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max could be limited at launch, which is apparently still planned to go ahead as usual in September.
Apple plans to make the display on the premium iPhone 15 models slightly larger without making the overall footprint of the devices bigger, adds the report. Assembly of the iPhone 15 lineup is currently said to be at a “risk ramp” stage, with mass production set to commence sometime in August.
Discover new horizons, always connected with eSIM
Travel the world stress and hassle-free with the best eSIM service available. Enjoy unlimited data, 5G speeds, and global coverage for affordable prices with Holafly. And, enjoy an exclusive 5% discount.
The issues at hand are more pronounced from display panels made by LG Display, as problems with LG-made panels were uncovered during an assembly testing and verification process handled by Foxconn. The new manufacturing process – known as Low Injection Pressure Overmolding (LIPO) – is still proving difficult for LG Display to perfect. Apple has reportedly been tweaking the design of panels made by LG Display so that they can pass the aforementioned verification process.
The Information notes that Samsung-made displays do not suffer from any problems and have repeatedly passed verification tests. As such, Apple plans to use those panels to finalize the assembly of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max while LG figures out a way to ensure its panels meet Apple’s standards. Production of the larger iPhone 15 Pro Max has apparently been affected the most by the reported manufacturing issues, and the number of units available at launch for this device will be more constrained compared to the smaller iPhone 15 Pro.
Earlier today, a Bank of America analyst predicted that the iPhone 15 launch could be slightly delayed without referring to a culprit causing the delay (via MacRumors). The Information‘s report today loosely corroborates the analyst’s predictions of manufacturing difficulties of some sort, despite the former still believing that the iPhone 15 launch will go as usual in September instead of being delayed to October.
