"For the major opening weekend, we're close to the limit, " Mr. Dinges said.

WSJ: New iPhone Sellout Tests Apple Supply

Casey Dinges, a staff leader on the report card, said "structurally deficient" and "functionally obsolete" are technical terms used by the federal government.

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Tom Dinges, an analyst at IHS iSuppli, said Apple historically began production of new iPhones in mid-August, a little more than a month from the release date.

WSJ: New iPhone Sellout Tests Apple Supply

Dinges, a professor and sleep researcher in the department of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, is trying to help companies and the U.S. government figure some of this out.

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Mr. Dinges noted that Apple would need to have roughly half a million iPhones produced per day at a minimum to meet some analyst expectations of 50 million iPhones to be sold during the holiday quarter.

WSJ: New iPhone Sellout Tests Apple Supply