DigiTimes

Iris scanning rumored to come to 2018 iPhones

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 25, 2016

Aside from other exciting hardware features, such as a bezel-less, wraparound OLED screen with integrated Touch ID and click-less Home button, Apple's tenth anniversary iPhone could bring out iris scanning capabilities next year, Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes said Monday. The technology could be potentially used to replace, or augment, Touch ID verification to boost security.

Some phones, like Samsung's upcoming Note refresh, are expected to adopt iris scanning later this year. Keep in mind that DigiTimes has a hit-and-miss record so the DigiTimes report should be taken with a grain of salt.

TSMC reportedly wins exclusive contract to build A11 chips for 2017 iPhones and iPads

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 19, 2016

Citing a story in the Chinese-language Economic Daily News newspaper, Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes reported yesterday that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) will be the sole supplier of an Apple-designed 'A11' chip, which should power 2017 iPhone and iPad models.

In other words, Samsung could be on the outs for the next two generations of iPhone processors as both this year's A10 and next year's A11 are now said to be exclusively manufactured by TSMC. The A11 chip will be built on the foundry's cutting-edge ten-nanometer FinFET process.

2017 Apple Watch could use power-sipping micro-LED panels

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 26, 2016

Apple is reportedly prepping to switch from flexible OLED screens utilized on the current Apple Watch to a more power-efficient micro-LED display technology that could be used for an Apple Watch hardware update in 2017, DigiTimes reported Friday. The Taiwanese trade publication said Apple could replace OLED displays in the Apple Watch with micro-LED panels as early as the second half of 2017.

Apple Watch 2 rumored to debut later this year

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 15, 2016

A second-generation Apple Watch will most likely launch either alongside Apple's iPhone 7 this September or later this year, according to supply chain sources who spoke with DigiTimes, a Taiwanese trade publication with a hit-and-miss record in reporting Apple rumors.

Apple supplier to build nanowire-based flexible toucscreens, likely for future iOS devices

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 10, 2017

Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes is reporting that TPK Holding is gearing up to product nanowire-based flexible touchscreens. TPK is on Apple's supplier list so there's a high likelihood that future iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices could switch to these flexible screens based on nano silver ink. Originally developed by 3M, silver nanowire films are flexible and transparent to the eye, making them feasible for wearable devices particular.

iPhone SE is more popular than Apple anticipated so it’s boosting production

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 3, 2016

Due to stronger-than-expected sales of the four-inch iPhone SE, Apple has boosted production of the handset in the second quarter of this year, Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes reported Tuesday.

Citing industry sources, DigiTimes claims Apple's just increased orders for the iPhone SE to more than five million units from the original plan of 3.5-4 million units in the second quarter of 2016.

Ultra-thin MacBooks with metal injection mold-made hinges due in second half of 2016?

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 15, 2016

Apple is expected to revamp the rest of its notebook lineup around ultra-thin MacBook models later this summer, which poses questions regarding the future of the existing MacBook Air lineup as Apple's thinnest notebooks. In a new report Friday, Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes cited local component makers as saying that they are starting to see increasing competition for related component orders ahead of a rumored launch of “new ultra-thin MacBooks in the second half of 2016.”

Samsung and other suppliers secure orders for second-generation Apple Watch parts

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 14, 2016

According to Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes, which knows this stuff inside out, Apple's Asian suppliers are now starting to receive orders for the components that will be used in a second-generation Apple Watch.

Samsung, along with other overseas manufacturers like Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, have reportedly secured component orders for the Apple Watch 2, which one analyst believes could be up to forty percent thinner and debut at Apple's annual developers conference this summer.

DigiTimes: Apple turns to established Chinese server vendor to bolster iCloud infrastructure

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 16, 2016

Apple has reportedly started buying servers from a government-backed Chinese firm, called Inspur, to use in its data centers, Taiwanese publication DigiTimes reported this morning. Apple's never confirmed nor denied industry speculation that much of its iCloud data centers run on Amazon's Web Services and Microsoft's Azure platforms.

That being said, Apple's reportedly embarked on a project to migrate iCloud services to its own data centers in order to satisfy increasing demand for iOS devices, reduce expenses and further reduce any possibility of attacks on the iCloud platform.

Apple supplier Sharp starts prepping AMOLED production lines, likely for future iPhones

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 6, 2016

Hot on the heels of a reported $3.5 billion acquisition of Sharp by Apple's contract fabricator Foxconn, Sharp has reportedly begun setting up production lines dedicated to churning out AMOLED smartphone panels as Apple is said to be lining up suppliers to support its major move to outfit future iPhones with AMOLED screen technology.

According to a report Wednesday by DigiTimes, a Taiwanese trade publication, Sharp is setting up three production lines that should have total monthly capacity of 9.85 million 5.5-inch equivalent AMOLED panels.

Rumor: Apple planning massive 5.8-inch iPhone model with AMOLED display

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 8, 2016

Citing Taiwan-based Apple supply chain makers, Taiwanese publication DigiTimes wrote in a pre-publication note yesterday that Apple is planning a huge iPhone model with a 5.8-inch screen based on the superior AMOLED display technology.

Apple is reportedly rumored to “have plans to launch a 5.8-inch iPhone featuring rigid AMOLED display panels in 2018 or even earlier in 2017,” reads the note. Currently, Apple's iPhone 6/6s series is offered in two screen sizes—4.7 and 5.5 inches—while the older iPhone 5s and the upcoming 'iPhone SE' address the market segment for four-inch smartphones.

DigiTimes: Apple testing dual-lens cameras for iPhone 7 Plus from three different suppliers

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 2, 2016

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is adamant that Apple is working on a premium edition of an 'iPhone 7 Plus' that will come outfitted with dual-lens cameras for telephoto functions and today DigiTimes is reporting that Apple is already testing dual lenses for the handset sourced from three different suppliers.

The hit-and-miss Taiwanese trade publication has it on good authority, citing sources from the upstream supply chain, that Apple supplier Largan Technology and two unnamed Japan and China-based vendors have shipped dual-lens camera samples to 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, California, for testing.