Production

DigiTimes: Apple getting ready to ramp up Apple Watch production

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 13, 2014

Apple's suppliers are “gearing up” to ramp up Apple Watch production ahead of its early-2015 release, Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes said Thursday. While not the most accurate of sources, DigiTimes usually gets supply chain rumors right.

Apple's retail boss Angela Ahrendts recently told employees that the Apple Watch will be launching in Spring 2015. The device will start out at $349 for the entry-level model with aluminum chassis and plastic band.

The stainless steel model should be priced at $500, with an 18-karat gold variant commanding a price tag between $4,000 and $5,000, according to the rumor-mill.

Manufacturing issues may push ‘iPad Pro’ back to Q2 2015

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

KGI Securities' Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple's rumored 12.9-inch tablet may get pushed back again. In a new note to investors tonight, the oft-accurate analyst said manufacturing issues may delay the so-called 'iPad Pro,' which was originally expected to debut this fall, until spring next year.

More specifically, Kuo says he believes Apple will use oxide LCD technology for the device's high-res display, which will give it quick response times and high color saturation. And due to the time needed for component yield and assembly, the iPad Pro may not enter production until Q2 of 2015.

iPad Air 2 costs roughly the same to build as its predecessor

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 28, 2014

Apple's latest iPad Air 2 costs roughly the same as its predecessor, an analysis from the research firm IHS quoted Tuesday by Re/Code has determined. An entry-level Wi-Fi-only model with sixteen gigabytes of storage costs an estimated $275 in parts, excluding costs associated with sales, marketing, advertising, packaging, software licensees, research and development and so forth.

It's interesting that Apple pays about $60 for NAND flash chips in the high-end 128GB model and only $9.20 on memory for the low-end 16 GB devices. At retail, the difference between the 128 and 16GB model is $300. “Apple reaps a pretty good profit for all that memory,” IHS analyst Andrew Rassweiler observed.

TSMC reportedly lands contract to build A8X processor for iPad Pro

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 15, 2014

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world's leading independent semiconductor foundry, has landed a contract to fabricate Apple's upcoming A8X mobile processor, Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes reported Wednesday.

The chip, which leaked on claimed photographs earlier this week, is said to feature faster graphics.

In addition to an improved GPU, it reportedly incorporates twice as much RAM as its A8 counterpart, which powers the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. As such, the A8X should power Apple's rumored 'iPad Pro' tablet with an ultra high-resolution 12.9-inch screen.

DigiTimes: 12″ Retina MacBook Air in limited production now

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 8, 2014

Apple's rumored MacBook Air with a twelve-inch Retina screen has allegedly entered limited production, according to sources with Apple's supply chain Wednesday morning who spoke to DigiTimes, a Taiwanese trade publication.

Apple has reportedly commissioned contract manufacturer Quanta Computer to start building the ultra-thin notebook in small volumes in October, with output expected to increase gradually beginning November.

Apple is holding a media event next Thursday so a Retina MacBook Air could be on tap along with new iPads, a (possibly) refreshed Apple TV hardware and what not.

Samsung confirms building 14nm A9 processors for 2015 iPhones and iPads

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 2, 2014

Echoing previous rumors, Samsung of South Korea confirmed to reporters Thursday that it will start churning out mobile processors for Apple before end of the year, ZDNet reported. The chips, likely to be branded under the “A9” moniker, will be manufactured on Samsung's cutting-edge 14-nanometer process technology.

The confirmation came through the mouth of Kim Ki-nam, president of Samsung's semiconductor-making arm and head of System LSI business.

Speaking to reporters at company headquarters in Seoul, Ki-nam quipped that his company's fortunes “will improve positively” once sales are boosted thanks to the lucrative Apple chip deal. The new mobile processor should make their way into 2015 iPhone and iPad devices.

Quanta Computer to kick off mass production of Apple Watch in January 2015

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

As Apple shoots to bring its smartwatch to market in early-2015, news reports Tuesday asserted that the Cupertino firm has commissioned contract manufacturer Quanta Computer to start mass producing Apple Watches in January 2015, citing supply chain rumors first mentioned by Apple Daily [Google Translate] and reposted by GforGames.

Apparently Taiwan-based Quanta is the only manufacturer tasked with building the device, the story goes, contradicting earlier rumors that mentioned both Quanta and Inventec, an iPad supplier, as Apple Watch manufacturers.

The Apple Daily report gives hope that the fashionable smartwatch could hit store shelves in time for Valentine's Day 2015. For what it's worth, a recent article by The Information alleged that “Apple would be lucky” to ship the device by Valentine’s Day.

Apple pushing Foxconn to hire aggressively to cope with strong iPhone 6 demand

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 30, 2016

As Apple's recently released iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus continue to face strong demand from fans around the world, the Cupertino firm has reacted by pushing its favorite contract manufacturer, Foxconn, to hire more workers to help assemble the handsets, Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes reported Tuesday.

A large-scale aggressive hiring for Foxconn facilities in Shenzhen and Zhengzhou is currently underway, with sources noting that working on assembly lines is no longer as attractive as before for workers in China.

Despite its highest daily output ever, Foxconn still struggling to boost iPhone 6 production

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 17, 2014

Despite huge investment it's made in production lines, workers, sophisticated machinery and tooling equipment, Foxconn, the world's largest contract fabricator, is having issues keeping up with massive iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus demand, The Wall Street Journal's Digits blog reported Wednesday.

“For iPhone 6 Plus, we are still ramping up the production line,” sources tell WSJ. ”Another reason for the limited supply is the shortage of 5.5-inch displays”.

Another person at a display component supplier told the paper that Foxconn is scrapping almost half of the 5.5-inch panels due to quality control issues. The output rate of the 4.7-inch display is reportedly better at 85 percent.

Manufacturing woes stem from the in-cell display technology which allows for a thinner and lighter screen assembly by integrating touch sensors into the liquid crystal display.

Bloomberg: Apple preparing 12.9-inch iPad for early 2015

Cody Lee ∙ August 26, 2014

Bloomberg is reporting this afternoon that Apple is preparing a larger 12.9-inch iPad for early next year. Citing people with "knowledge of the matter," the outlet says that the company's suppliers are gearing up now, with production of the tablet scheduled to begin by the first quarter of next year.

The report revives a theory that has been bouncing around the rumor mill for more than a year now. Apple was originally expected to launch the 13-inch "iPad Pro" this fall, but is believed to have pushed back the project due to resources being used on the so-called 'iWatch,' and the new iPhone 6.

Weight, size, camera design, battery: more details about iPhone 6 emerge

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

A new report shared by French publication iGen reveals more information about the two iPhone 6 models Apple is set to announce next month. Based on details obtained from a source inside Foxconn, the report sheds more light about the weight, size, camera design, and battery of models N61 and N56, code names for the 4.7 and 5.5 inch iPhones respectively.

New close-up photos show iPhone 6 front panel, power button and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

As production for the iPhone 6 begins to ramp up ahead of next month's unveiling, we're starting to see more and more part leaks for the highly anticipated handset. We've seen several over the last few days, and this afternoon, new photos of alleged components surfaced.

This latest batch gives us a close-up look at what is said to be the front panel and display assembly for the 4.7-inch model of the iPhone 6, with its very clearly tapered edges. The photos also show the new Power button, which is expected to be relocated, and its Mute Switch...