Apple is trying to buy its way out of iPhone 15 Pro Max stock woes

As we've already reported, buying a new iPhone 15 Pro Max for the September 22 launch date is essentially impossible right now. Apple clearly knows that it has an availability issue and it's already a problem that it's trying to fix - by throwing money at it.

There are thought to be a couple of key issues for Apple, not least the fact that production of the iPhone 15 Pro Max started the latest but the model also happens to be proving extremely popular with buyers. But supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also notes that the company's new tetraprism 5x zoom camera is proving to be an issue. So Apple is taking action to fix that to allow it to build more iPhone 15 Pro Max handsets more quickly.

Writing as part of a larger Medium post discussing the current iPhone 15 Pro Max situation, Kuo says that the iPhone 15 Pro Max's new tetraprism compact camera module (CCM) is the main bottleneck for production. To improve the production yield of the CCM by supplier LGIT, Apple is thought to have told lens supplier Largan to increase the specifications of its wares - to counter the issues LGIT is experiencing.

However, none of that will come cheap. Kuo believes that the new specifications have caused the CCM's cost to increase sharply by around 20%. That's obviously good news for Largan, but it means that Apple is now spending more than it originally planned. Kuo believes Apple is willing to go that route because of various const considerations with elation to defective lenses.

All of this, it's hoped, will allow Apple to get more iPhone 15 Pro Max handsets into stores around the world. Anyone who was able to quickly place an order on the September 15 preorder date will likely see their new handset on the September 22 launch date, but others were not so lucky. Those placing a new iPhone 15 Pro Max order now, for example, will have to wait multiple weeks before their new iPhone arrives.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max isn't the only new product going up for sale on September 22. In fact, it isn't even the only new iPhone - it'll be joined by the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, and iPhone 15 Pro. All of those new models will also go on sale alongside the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, not to mention the first USB-C AirPods Pro 2 earbuds. The year isn't done, either. Apple is expected to release new M3-powered Macs next month.