According to a report by The Information, Apple is having issues with manufacturing displays for its upcoming iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, possibly leading to a constrained supply at launch in September.
Numerous rumors have indicated that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will sport slimmer bezels than last-year’s iPhone 14 Pro models. The report says it is the alleged decrease in bezel size that is creating issues.
The Information says Apple suppliers are using a new display manufacturing process to shrink the bezel size, which is causing issues with displays manufactured by LG Display. Apple experienced similar issues with the increased display size of the Apple Watch Series 7 in 2019, and that handset’s release was delayed by about a month.
The displays are failing reliability tests related to the process where the display is fused to the metal shell. The design of the LG display is being tweaked to allow it to pass the tests, and Apple has displays on hand from Samsung to use for assembly.
The Information that it doesn’t expect to see Apple delay the launch of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, but will instead have fewer units available at launch, leading to shortages. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is expected to be affected the most, and the device that will likely be most difficult to get at launch.
Always take reports like this with a grain of your favorite salt-free seasoning, as nothing is for certain until we actually see what happens in September.