As somebody seeking to improve to the iPhone 16 this fall, I’m not frightened about manufacturing points or launch delays. This isn’t Apple’s first rodeo, and there’s no life-threatening emergency just like the pandemic that might mess with the common iPhone manufacturing schedule.
Nevertheless, in early April, we noticed studies that Apple’s smartphone show distributors have been struggling to satisfy Apple’s calls for for the iPhone 16. Particularly, Apple desires the iPhone 16 Professional and 16 Professional Max to function even thinner bezels than their predecessors. The design posed manufacturing points for Samsung and LG, the sort that might affect iPhone manufacturing.
I believe the race to the thinnest doable bezels is getting out of hand, however I get why smartphone distributors are doing it and why Apple wants the iPhone 16 Professionals to function even smaller bezels. I mentioned on the time I’d hate bezel dimension to change into a problem that slows iPhone manufacturing, however it seems like I not want to fret.
Samsung and LG have reportedly acquired approval to mass-produce the OLED panels for the iPhone 16 Professional fashions. Apple can also be anticipated to approve OLED screens for the iPhone 16 Professional Max within the coming weeks.
Apple will unveil the iPhone 16 sequence in early September and launch the telephones in shops a few weeks later. Meaning iPhone 16 manufacturing will begin someday this summer time, and suppliers should ship the brand new iPhone components to assemblers like Foxconn by then. That method, Apple’s companions have loads of time to construct the tens of thousands and thousands of iPhone fashions that should be stocked earlier than the telephone is launched.
Korean outlet The Elec, which beforehand reported on Samsung and LG’s manufacturing struggles, now says that Apple has accepted mass-production of the iPhone 16 Professional panels at each suppliers. Subsequent, Samsung also needs to obtain the go-ahead for the iPhone 16 Professional Max OLED panels by the tip of Might, with LG following in June.
This can be a large win for iPhone consumers seeking to rating one of many Professional fashions this fall. The iPhone Professionals are inclined to promote out lengthy earlier than the common fashions. Any manufacturing points would affect the preliminary batch, as Apple would have fewer models available for early consumers.
However, because the report notes, it’s additionally a giant win for LG, which has been closing the hole with Samsung lately. Final yr, LG was accepted to mass-produce the iPhone 15 Professional OLED panels a number of months later than Samsung. This made Samsung the massive winner of early iPhone 15 Professional panel orders.
Samsung has been the one supplier of OLED screens for the iPhone for years. As a lot as Samsung likes to bash the iPhone, Apple is one in every of its greatest purchasers. The Elec notes that iPhone OLED panels account for over 70% of Samsung’s Show’s working revenue. Samsung aimed to fabricate over 155 million OLED panels for the iPhone this yr. Extra not too long ago, the estimate dropped to 130 million screens.
That’s doubtless due to the elevated competitors, one thing Apple has inspired over time. LG and BOE are sometimes cited as suppliers of OLED panels for the iPhone. Samsung will manufacture screens for all 4 iPhone 16 choices. LG will solely make the OLED panels for the Professional fashions, whereas BOE will provide shows for the non-Professional variants.
The report doesn’t point out the Border Discount Construction tech coming to the iPhone 16 Professionals this yr. That innovation might need impacted product yields in earlier months. If Apple is approving manufacturing plans for the iPhone 16 Professionals, it should imply each Samsung and LG have achieved passable yields and thus mounted manufacturing points.
