Apple’s iPhone Ultra, expected to debut in September, could be released first in the United States due to tight initial supply, a report said.

On Aug. 13 local time, IT outlet NineToFiveMac reported that if initial production volumes of the iPhone Ultra are limited, Apple could choose to prioritise shipments to the U.S. market.

The key question is whether supply constraints being discussed ahead of the unveiling will affect launch markets and timing. David Richards of ChannelNews said speculation has long suggested the iPhone Ultra could suffer a severe early supply shortage. He said if volumes are insufficient, Apple could temporarily supply the product only to the U.S. market first.

The idea of a U.S.-only launch remains largely speculative. Questions have also been raised about the accompanying claim that the device will be unveiled on Sept. 8. Apple has typically held iPhone launch events on the Tuesday of the second week of September, but this year Sept. 9 is being cited as a more likely date than the 8th, which falls just after the U.S. Labor Day holiday.

Predictions about which countries will get the first launch are also hard to pin down. Because the information is based on sources in China and Australia, it could suggest those regions might be excluded from the initial launch, but it is difficult to interpret that as a U.S.-only launch, the report said.

Even so, the possibility of limiting initial sales countries cannot be ruled out. If supply is insufficient, the report said, prioritising the U.S. market in September and then gradually expanding sales to other countries could be a more realistic option than delaying the full launch.

That aligns with earlier expectations that if the iPhone Ultra is released as a new top-tier model, stabilising early production and allocating units by country could be key variables. If a new form factor or new components are used, early production yields could also change launch timing by region.

The key, ultimately, is the iPhone Ultra’s initial production volume and Apple’s allocation strategy by region. A U.S.-first launch has not been confirmed, but if shortages materialise, attention is focusing on the possibility that Apple will expand the rollout in stages rather than supply all markets at the same time.