Apple iPhone 6 Design Tweak Causes Screen Shortage, Supply Chain Heartburn
Apple and its investors fully expect the upcoming iPhone 6 launch will be the biggest in the iPhone's history, and while there's a good chance of that happening, nothing is ever easy about these launches. Each iPhone release has been marred by one problem or another, and this time around, it's problems at the assembly plant that Apple has to deal with. Specifically, a last minute redesign of a key component has led to a disruption in the iPhone 6's panel production.
It's rumored that Apple will unveil the iPhone 6 at a press event on September 9, though according to Reuters, it's not yet known if the manufacturing problems will cause a delay. Alternately, Apple could proceed as planned, though it comes at the risk of there being a shortage of devices to meet demand.
Based on the leaked info to date, this has been one of the more complicated iPhone launches. Part of the reason is because Apple is paying a ton of attention to the display, including the release of two different size models -- it's rumored the iPhone 6 will come with both 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screen size options, both of which are bigger than 4-inch display found on the iPhone 5S.
As for the component that needs to be redesigned, supply chain sources say it's the backlight that helps illuminate the screen. Apparently Apple initially insisted on a single layer of backlight film instead of the standard two-layer design, as the Cupertino outfit wanted to make the iPhone thinner than it already is. However, the single layer designed ended up not being bright enough, so now the race is on to rectify the issue before launch.
It's rumored that Apple will unveil the iPhone 6 at a press event on September 9, though according to Reuters, it's not yet known if the manufacturing problems will cause a delay. Alternately, Apple could proceed as planned, though it comes at the risk of there being a shortage of devices to meet demand.
Based on the leaked info to date, this has been one of the more complicated iPhone launches. Part of the reason is because Apple is paying a ton of attention to the display, including the release of two different size models -- it's rumored the iPhone 6 will come with both 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screen size options, both of which are bigger than 4-inch display found on the iPhone 5S.
As for the component that needs to be redesigned, supply chain sources say it's the backlight that helps illuminate the screen. Apparently Apple initially insisted on a single layer of backlight film instead of the standard two-layer design, as the Cupertino outfit wanted to make the iPhone thinner than it already is. However, the single layer designed ended up not being bright enough, so now the race is on to rectify the issue before launch.
