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

iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket is Now Completely Sold Out Worldwide

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:16 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. However, it is now completely sold out in all countries where it was released. iPhone Pocket became available to order on Apple's online store starting Friday, November 14, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, ...
New Intel Logo

Apple and Intel Rumored to Partner on Mac Chips Again in a New Way

Friday November 28, 2025 7:33 am PST by
While all Macs are now powered by Apple's custom-designed chips, a new rumor claims that Apple may rekindle its partnership with Intel, albeit in a new and limited way. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said Intel is expected to begin shipping Apple's lowest-end M-series chip as early as mid-2027. Kuo said Apple plans to utilize Intel's 18A process, which is the "earliest...
iphone black friday gold

The Best Black Friday iPhone Deals Still Available

Friday November 28, 2025 6:24 am PST by
Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Black Friday 2025 sales have kicked off at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more. Right now we're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models during the holiday shopping season. Note: MacRumors is...
apple store down feature

Here's Why the Apple Store is Going Down

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:01 pm PST by
Apple's online store is going down for a few hours on a rolling country-by-country basis right now, but do not get your hopes up for new products. Apple takes its online store down for a few hours ahead of Black Friday every year to tease/prepare for its annual gift card offer with the purchase of select products. The store already went down and came back online in Australia and New Zealand, ...
streaming black friday 2025

Best Black Friday Streaming Deals - Save Big on Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, and More

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:14 pm PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air Flop Sparks Industry Retreat From Ultra-Thin Phones

Thursday November 27, 2025 3:14 am PST by
Apple's disappointing iPhone Air sales are causing major Chinese mobile vendors to scrap or freeze their own ultra-thin phone projects, according to reports coming out of Asia. Since the ‌iPhone Air‌ launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales and manufacturing cuts, while Apple's supply chain has scaled back shipments and production. Apple supplier Foxconn has...
Cyber Monday Deals 2025

Best Cyber Monday Apple Deals Include Big Discounts on AirPods, Apple Watch, and More

Sunday November 30, 2025 7:33 am PST by
Now that Black Friday is in the rearview mirror, Cyber Monday discounts have begun appearing online, and you can find popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more at all-time low prices. 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 you click a link and make a purchase, we may ...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: Apple's Big Plans for iPad Mini 8

Friday November 28, 2025 8:39 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through the latest rumors about Apple's upcoming iPad mini 8. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos The next-generation version of the iPad mini is expected to feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple...

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)