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

Monday September 14, 2015 8:26 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

iphone6plus_finish_large KGI 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.

Tags: KGI Securities, Minebea, Ming-Chi Kuo, Radiant

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Here's When iOS 27 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone [Update: It's Out]

Sunday September 13, 2026 3:00 am PDT by Eric Slivka

Update 10:04 a.m.: iOS 27 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking! Apple is about to release iOS 27, which will finally deliver more advanced Siri AI capabilities as well as a variety of other refinements, improvements, and new features to iPhones. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at Wednesday's iPhone event...

• 151 comments

iOS 27 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday September 14, 2026 9:00 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

Update — 10 a.m. Pacific Time: Apple has released iOS 27. During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released widely on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 should be available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time today via the Settings app, under General → Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight new features and...

• 111 comments

iCloud+ Now Includes Apple TV, Apple Arcade, and Curated Apple Music Stations in Over 100 Countries

Tuesday September 15, 2026 1:43 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

Apple today announced a new subscription initiative that turns paid iCloud+ subscriptions into a broader services bundle in more than 100 countries. In select countries, Apple says every paid iCloud+ plan, including the cheapest 50GB tier, now includes Apple TV and Apple Arcade "at no additional cost," while family sharing extends the storage, TV and Arcade access to up to five people....

• 106 comments

Top Rated Comments

WordsmithMR

144 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

144 months ago

Every year there's an excuse. It's not like it's their first rodeo.

Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)

D.T.

144 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

144 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)