iPhone 15 release date could be delayed until October — and this may be the reason

iPhone 15 Pro Max mockup with thin bezels
(Image credit: Unbox Therapy / YouTube)

Brace yourself for a possibly late iPhone 15 release date, says Wamsi Mohan, analyst for Bank of America, in a new research note read by Barron's (via MacRumors).

Mohan is claiming his sources are suggesting the next-gen iPhones will be held up "by a few weeks." That could perhaps mean Apple will go for an October launch event rather than its habitual September event, but it could still hold the even in September and just put the phones on sale a bit later than usual.

This news goes against what other analysts and leakers have suggested. Perhaps this will change as others observe the same facts that have led Mohan to his conclusion, though the Barron's article doesn't tell us what those are.

Update: A new report may have explained that it's issues with the iPhone 15 Pro's display that have caused these problems.

If anything, previous analyst comments we'd heard for the iPhone 15 series have suggested that it could arrive in the expected September window. Apple allegedly started component sourcing and production earlier than normal. Plus, Apple has been reportedly stocking up on key parts to avoid potential shortages.

iPhones have been delayed before, such as with the iPhone X in 2017, the iPhone 12 series in 2020 or the iPhone 14 Plus last year. But it's generally a rare occurrence.

iPhone 15 release date: Slight delay not a big deal

Mohan comes at this news from an investor's perspective, with a delay to Apple's biggest product of the year meaning significant changes for Apple's quarterly earnings and therefore what's best for users looking to buy or sell the company's shares. But for we typical iPhone buyers, this shouldn't make too big a difference to your buying decision. 

The iPhone 15 series as a whole is expected to gain USB-C charging ports, and use the Dynamic Island notch replacement universally. As for the iPhone  Pro models, we're hearing they could use a new 3nm A17 chipset, and a more powerful periscope zoom camera could be coming exclusively to the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

It's likely worth holding off on buying an iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Pro right now to get a model with these new features. Even if you've got to wait a few more weeks than you may have expected.

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Richard Priday
Assistant Phones Editor

Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.