Nikkei Asia, citing supply chain sources, reports that Apple's strict standards have caused iPhone Ultra production to fall far below targets.
Nikkei Asia news agency revealed, quoting sources in the iPhone Ultra production supply chain,That recently,Apple was able to produce only a few hundred units per day in late August.
The main reason is Apple's very high quality control standards, raising the possibility of product shortages from the launch period.
A supply chain manager told Nikkei Asia that Apple has very stringent requirements and added an additional trial production run in August 2026 before full production to confirm the ability to mass produce units as specified. Two sources said this extra inspection process delayed commercial production by several weeks while Apple and its suppliers continue to work on increasing capacity.
Apple places special emphasis on improving the yield rate in two areas: screen surface flatness and hinge performance.
Of course, this figure is still far from Apple's target, which was reported to be 8-10 million iPhone Ultra units in 2026. Normally, production must reach tens of thousands of units per day to meet this goal. Without accelerating production capacity soon, the company may fall short of its target.
The report also states that Apple's quality control standards exceed those of competitors like Samsung, particularly in testing under harsher conditions, a higher number of screen folding cycles, and stricter requirements for screen flatness.
Regarding the release schedule, it was reported that Apple will begin pre-orders on 12 September 2026 and start selling the iPhone 18 Pro on 18 September 2026. However, the iPhone Ultra release date remains unclear.
. Source:9to5Mac