Tech Deck Tricks: IPhone 15 Pro Max Is Sold Out, But Apple Might Have Fixed Its Supply Problem

The iPhone 15 Pro Max sold out in less than an hour on Friday, confirming speculation ahead of Apple's big iPhone 15 event. Buyers will choose the iPhone 15 Pro Max over the smaller Pro, and the Pros will continue to outpace standard models for another year.

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There's another reason why the iPhone 15 Pro Max sold out so quickly. Apple is struggling with product problems, says Ming-Chi Kuo.

A prominent Apple insider did not give a reason for the delay in launching Apple's biggest new iPhone. But he wrote a second note explaining that Apple's new Periscope camera might be to blame. The tetraprism zoom camera is exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Apple seems to have found a way to solve the supply problem and inventory levels will improve soon.

Problems with the tetraprism camera

Depending on the market, you might not get the iPhone 15 Pro Max on your doorstep for a few weeks. High demand, combined with suspected production delays, has caused arrival times for some versions of the Pro Max to be pushed back to November. The best part is getting the iPhone 15 Pro Max to pick up in stores this Friday.

At least a month ago, some iPhone 15 reports claimed that Apple was struggling with screen manufacturing issues for the Pro models. These rumors suggest that Apple may delay at least one of the four iPhone 15 models until October. Other leaks suggest that Apple has resolved supply issues and that all four models will be available in September.

Ming-Chi Kuo says the new mid-range iPhone 15 Pro Max's new zoom camera is the phone's "key" bottleneck.

The main raw material of the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the tetraprisma camera module (CCM), which is exclusively offered by LGIT. To improve CCM production, Apple quickly increased the specifications of the tetraprism lens, which is only offered by Largan, to overcome CCM production problems due to joint tolerances.

When LG Innotek (LGIT) introduced its new compact periscope camera design, I thought Apple would use it on the iPhone 15 Pro models. It looks like Apple has teamed up with LG on a tetraprism camera. But that might not be the LG design revealed in December 2022.

Well, Apple's Tetraprism camera module is unprecedented in the industry. The light rays are reflected four times before reaching the sensor. This allows for more time to travel without the need for a very large camera. This means the iPhone 15 Pro Max offers 5x optical zoom.

The tetraprisma camera design features a new 3D sensor shift optical image stabilization system and a three-dimensional autofocus module.

If Kuo is right, Apple will pay more to protect the tetraprism lens and Largan will make a nice profit on the redemption. The supplier has "urgently expanded" its product lines for the component. As a result, the price of the tetraprism lens increased by 20%. However, the cost of damaged lenses is "relatively low", which explains why Apple may be willing to accept additional costs.

Good news for the iPhone 16 Pro

Then buyers will want to get their hands on the iPhone 15 Pro Max again. Increasing productivity is a priority. Not to mention, Apple will need more equipment next year.

Kuo says the iPhone 16 Pro will have the same tetraprism zoom camera as the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Pro are expected to have a telephoto tetraprism camera. If Apple maintains high lens specifications, the barriers to entry for Genius, Apple's second largest lens supplier, will increase next year. This indicates that Largan may remain the sole or leading supplier of tetraprism lenses in the coming year.

This isn't the first time we've heard that the iPhone 16 Pro will feature dual periscope zoom lenses. According to rumors, the 2024 iPhone will have slightly larger screens.

What happens is that all the fingerprints of the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max are added. This frees up space for the camera units to zoom in without affecting the battery size. Therefore, the increase in screen size is the result of Apple introducing tetraprism lenses for both iPhone 16 Pro cameras.