*Image credit — Majin Bu
Apple CEO Tim Cook is reportedly (translated source) “extremely anxious” as the iPhone 17 inventory build-up has run into problems. A shortage of low thermal expansion coefficient (low-CTE) fiberglass cloth is creating problems for Apple and is preventing the company from producing its next flagships.Low-CTE fiberglass cloth is used in smartphones for heat dissipation and to reduce the stress on internal components that occurs due to temperature changes. It is a crucial part of a smartphone’s construction and the iPhone 17 line cannot be manufactured without it. Other parties in the industry are also reportedly making arrangements following the shortages.
Apple is apparently urging the supply chain every day to sort out this mess. The iPhone 17 needs to be ready on time not just because it’s the next Apple flagship but also because it will mark a new era for the company. Apple is trying a new look for the iPhone 17: with the Pro models featuring a much larger camera island similar to the Google Pixel 9 and its predecessors.
But even more importantly the iPhone 17 launch will feature a new model. All reports from multiple sources inside the industry indicate that Apple is about to retire the iPhone Plus model. Instead it will be replaced with the iPhone 17 Air: a much slimmer variant specifically targeted at users who prioritize aesthetics above all else.
While Apple is struggling with supply chain shortages Samsung — the company’s largest rival — is trying its best to perfect the 2 nm Exynos 2600 chipset. Samsung Foundry has made excellent progress in that regard and the Galaxy S26 phones may once again return to Exynos.
Aside from the low-CTE fiberglass shortage Apple is also concerned about the effects of tariffs. The company has temporarily been exempted but there is almost no way, in my opinion, that it can shift production out of China fast enough. Even then any other country will also be subject to tariffs, albeit at reduced rates, and Apple will either have to eat the cost or make its phones more expensive.
With these problems breathing down Apple’s neck I’ll be pleasantly surprised if the company is able to debut the iPhone 17 series in September of this year with reasonable price tags.
