Supply chain checks suggest that the production schedule for the iPhone 15 is on track, but the iPhone 15 Pro Max is rumored to be more expensive than ever before. In a note to investors, Jeff Pu of Haitong International Tech Research has shared his insights on the iPhone 15 production schedule, predicted assembly volumes, and the potential for a price increase.

Mike Wuerthele for AppleInsider:

Pu expects mass production to begin in earnest in August. This is essentially on schedule…

[Pu] is expecting Apple to produce about 84 million units. He does not go into model breakdown — but does say that the iPhone 15 Pro Max, or iPhone 15 Ultra, whichever Apple decides to call it — is expected to be popular in the early days. This is not a radical claim. Historically speaking, the “pro” models are the most in-demand in the first five months, with the balance shifting after the new year passes.

Given the inclusion of new features in that highest-end iPhone, Pu is expecting a price hike on the model. He doesn’t delve specifically into why or how much, but rumors have been claiming that the largest iPhone 15 Pro will have features that the smaller iPhone 15 Pro does not.

The most likely feature addition to the iPhone 15 Pro Max beyond an obviously larger battery and a bigger screen is a periscope lens granting a higher optical zoom than in older models. An outside possibility is a new sensor, which if accurate, would improve low-light performance in the iPhone 15, as well as better image quality across the board.

MacDailyNews Take: iPhone 15 Pro Max is expected to offer, naturally, a larger display and battery, but the tentpole feature will be the inclusion of a periscope lens offering the highest optical zoom ever available in an iPhone. The Pro models are also said to exclusively offer the A17 Bionic, Apple’s first 3nm chip, which also account for their premium pricing. At launch, Apple will sell as many iPhone 15 Pro models as they can make.

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