Apple to Start Mass Production of iPhone 15 Displays in June, Wants to Avoid Shortages

Display industry analyst Ross Young tweeted today that Apple is expected to start mass production of iPhone 15 display panels sometime in June. The early June starting date is designed to help Apple avoid supply shortages, such as the constraints Apple ran into last year with the production of the iPhone 14 lineup.

Last year many customers were unable to buy the models they were searching for in time for holiday gift-giving. The shortages were particularly tough on customers that were in search of the iPhone 14 Pro models.

Young says that both the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Pro are expected to have “an early lead in volume,” suggesting Apple is expecting a higher demand for those particular models.

Young has previously claimed that all iPhone 15 models will sport the Dynamic Island feature that was available only on the Pro models in the iPhone 14 lineup. Young has also said that while the iPhone 15 Pro models will use the same display size as the current generation handsets, they’ll have thinner bezels, and some premium technologies, such as ProMotion, will remain Pro-only features.

While preparations for the production of the upcoming iPhone 15 reportedly began in January, mass iPhone production traditionally begins between June and July.

Some components that were expected to be included in the new iPhone 15 lineup’s design have been scrapped. This includes the widely-expected solid-state volume buttons with haptic feedback that were intended to replace the iPhone’s traditional mechanical buttons. However, a new Action button that will replace the traditional mute/ring switch is still reportedly in the works.

Analysts Ming-Chi Kuo and Jeff Pu have both said that Apple decided to continue to use the mechanical volume buttons due to supply issues. Kuo says Apple pulled back on its plans for the solid-state button due to “unresolved technical issues before mass production.” Earlier this month, a shareholder letter from Apple supplier Cirrus Logic seemingly confirmed that iPhone 15 Pro models will not sport solid-state buttons.

Kuo and Young have also said next year’s iPhone 16 Pro may use larger displays, with Kuo adding that all the iPhone 16 Pro models will be equipped with a periscope camera lens. This year’s iPhone 15 Pro Max will be the only model to sport a periscope camera lens. Kuo said the iPhone 16 Pro would be slightly larger in size than this year’s Pro models. The larger internal space afforded by the larger size will provide more space for the periscope lens.

Of course, these are all still just rumors, so you’re advised to take them with a grain of your favorite salt substitute. We won’t know any features for sure until the new iPhones debut in September.