iPhone 6s Plus in Short Supply Due to Backlight Module Production Issues

iphone6plus_finish_largeKGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has issued a note to investors that claims the iPhone 6s Plus is facing supply shortages amid pre-orders due to backlight module production issues at Japanese supplier Minebea.

Kuo says that Apple is looking to resolve the problem by transferring backlight module orders to alternative supplier Radiant. The supplier will see its orders increase by 70-80% to 4-5 million units in September.

We believe Minebea’s (JP) backlight module production issues in supplying iPhone 6S Plus (6S Plus) is one of the main factors in the model’s supply shortage. To tackle this issue, we believe Apple (US) has been increasingly transferring high-ASP 6S Plus backlight module orders to Radiant (6176 TT, NT$106.5, OP), boosting its sales momentum.

While shipping estimates for the iPhone 6s Plus have slipped to 3-4 weeks or later for most models, Kuo believes the primary reason is because of supply chain problems rather than strong demand. The analyst expects Apple to prepare 1.5 to 2 million iPhone 6s Plus units for sale on September 25 launch day.

The switch from Minebea to Radiant should help improve iPhone 6s Plus supply through September.

To accelerate availability, we believe Apple has been transferring substantial 6S Plus backlight module orders to Radiant. As such, we estimate the company’s iPhone 6S Plus backlight module orders to increase by 70-80% to 4-5mn units in September, boosting its order allocation from 35-45% to 70-80%.

Apple informed the media this morning that iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus pre-orders are "on pace to beat" last year's record-breaking 10 million iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus units sold on launch weekend in September 2014.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 27 Will Reportedly Have Two Key Upgrades

Sunday November 23, 2025 8:48 am PST by
iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features. Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 18 Pro Looks Like a Huge Upgrade

Friday November 21, 2025 9:10 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Two Breakthrough Features

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:26 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include two standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
General Black Friday Deals 25 Red

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now on AirPods, iPads, Accessories, and More

Friday November 21, 2025 8:48 am PST by
We're only a few days away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
ipad black friday 2025

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:20 am PST by
Black Friday is just over a week away, and iPad deals have finally started to flood in at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Below we're tracking discounts on every current generation iPad, including lowest-ever prices on M3 iPad Air and M5 iPad Pro, plus steep markdowns on iPad and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a ...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Wednesday November 19, 2025 4:00 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...

Top Rated Comments

WordsmithMR Avatar
133 months ago
Sure... I believe this. It has nothing to do with artificially creating scarcity and making consumers preorder like crazy to secure their phone... This doesn't sound familiar at all.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jbachandouris Avatar
133 months ago
Every year there's an excuse. It's not like it's their first rodeo.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
D.T. Avatar
133 months ago
Apple basically upped the megapixels on the camera, added 3D touch, added an extra GB of RAM, and then did the usual upgraded processor swap. After a whole year and this is all they could come up with? I get Apple's "major" upgrades are every other year, but still, this upgrade is as bad as the 4S was compared to the 4.

So all they did was upgrade the camera (and introduce a better sensor tech), the CPU, the GPU, the motion co-processor, the RAM (capacity and speed), added an entire new display sub-system with a new UI paradigm ... and upgraded the body material, the wireless (WiFi and LTE), the FT camera to 5MP (including tech in the display for a flash), changed/refined the Touch ID sensor/accuracy, a new taptic system and even built it in a new color.


Slackers.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zorinlynx Avatar
133 months ago
I think their manufacturing capacity is better this year. I just checked and I can have pretty much any model I want except rose gold on the Friday release date. I can even reserve to pick it up in the store so I don't have to wait in line at all.

Last year pretty much every model except the Sprint ones got pushed back a couple weeks by morning, and there were huge lineups because Apple didn't allow reservations.

Expect a much smoother launch this time around. I still haven't decided whether to jump from the 6 to the 6S; I kinda want to get on the S generation but the money.. the money! Why must everything be limited by this money thing.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sniffies Avatar
133 months ago
Expect a new gate.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mattopotamus Avatar
133 months ago
it wouldn't be an official launch until we got a supply constraint story. I was beginning to worry if this was real life.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)