Supply chain sources say Apple last month managed to produce only a few hundred iPhone Ultra units a day, citing the company’s extremely high quality-control standards.
One supply chain manager said production was ramping up slowly, with output at only a few hundred units a day in late August — a level that could struggle to meet market demand.
Production bottlenecks for the iPhone Ultra
Multiple reports have identified the hinge structure and display durability testing as the principal bottlenecks in building the device. Those issues were thought to have been resolved during trial production at Foxconn, and Apple subsequently raised its order to around 10 million units for the year, up from an earlier 7–8 million.
Sources now say Apple carried out an additional verification process in August to ensure the foldable iPhone can be mass-produced according to its specified design. A person with knowledge of the matter said Apple is asking for better production yields on surface flatness and hinge performance.
That extra verification has reportedly pushed back commercial production for weeks, suggesting Apple could fall short of its production target unless output ramps up more quickly. Apple and its suppliers are said to be working around the clock to accelerate production and avoid limited stocks at distribution centers.
Timing for the foldable remains tight; a previous report suggested the device could face a staggered market launch, with availability initially limited to the U.S.
Apple is still expected to unveil the iPhone Ultra alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max on Wednesday, September 9 at the company’s “Surprise and shine” event.
