The iPhone 15 Pro Max may not be easy to get this year. Here's why.

Demand plus production delays means it might be tougher for Apple users to get their hands on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

According to Apple insider Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 15 Pro Max has been selling strong since it was announced at last week's Apple event. The device, along with the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, and iPhone 15 Pro, became available for preorder at the conclusion of the event. Kuo says the iPhone 15 Pro Max is outperforming last year's iPhone 14 Pro Max, and wait times are already "significantly longer" than other versions of the iPhone 15. How long exactly? On the Apple website, the iPhone 15 Pro Max doesn't ship until late October and even November (per 9to5Mac) whereas the site says the iPhone 15 will be delivered on Sept. 22.

iPhone 15 demand is similar to the iPhone 14, but sales for the iPhone 15 Pro is lower than last year. Kuo speculates that this is due to premium users opting for a bigger display, more storage options, and longer battery life. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch display, but the iPhone 15 Pro has a 6.1-inch screen. The iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at 256GB of storage and goes up 1TB while the iPhone 15 Pro starts at 128GB of storage (also going up to 1TB of storage). The iPhone 15 Pro Max boasts 29 hours of video playback compared to the iPhone 15 Pro's 23 hours. As such, consumers are likely saying, "If I'm going to go premium, why not go all the way?" Consequently, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the more attractive choice

Both of the Pro models are now made with a lighter titanium frame, sport a new "action button" instead of the mute switch, have improved camera features, and deliver faster performance — although maybe not as fast as you'd think.

But the shipping delay isn't just a demand issue. "Current iPhone 15 Pro Max shipments are lower due to a later mass production schedule, and its current production challenges are more pronounced than other models," Kuo wrote in his report. This was rumored to be the case in the weeks leading up to the Apple event. But it was unclear how much the production hindrances would impact shipping time. But now we know: the delayed production schedule plus higher demand means waiting longer for the iPhone 15 Pro Max.