Apple produced only "a few hundred units a day" of its upcoming foldable iPhone Ultra in late August due to extremely high quality control standards, according to Nikkei Asia citing supply chain sources. One supply chain manager noted that "Production is ramping up slowly... That initial volume could be challenging to meet market demand."

The device has faced persistent manufacturing hurdles, particularly with hinge structure and display durability testing. While issues were thought resolved during trial production at Foxconn — prompting Apple to raise its annual order to around 10 million units from 7-8 million — an additional verification process in August has "pushed back commercial production for weeks." Apple is demanding better production yields for surface flatness and hinge performance.

Apple and suppliers are working "around the clock" to ramp up output and avoid limited stocks. The timing is tight ahead of the expected September 9 "Surprise and shine" event, where the iPhone Ultra should debut alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Previous reports suggest a possible staggered market launch with initial availability limited to the U.S.