Touch Panel Defects May Result in Minor Shortfall of Initial 'iPhone 5' Shipments
Digitimes reports that iPhone touch panel supplier Wintek has apparently experienced some production issues that have caused minor defects in some of the panels being produced for the next-generation "iPhone 5".
It is unclear just how big of an effect the issue might have on iPhone supplies, as no estimate of the percentage of Wintek's panel production affected by the defect is given in the report, and Wintek is only responsible for 20-25% of total iPhone touch panel production. TPK is Apple's primary touch panel supplier, with Chimei Innolux also contributing some production capacity.
Also unclear is just what device is being addressed in the report, as it is still uncertain whether Apple be introducing both a redesigned iPhone 5 and an "iPhone 4S" that is nearly identical in appearance to the iPhone 4. Several reports from Apple's supply chain have suggested that there is no sign of a redesigned iPhone 5 at this time and that the iPhone 4S may be the only release for Apple next month.
The defect, "delayed bubble", is difficult to avoid during panel production, particularly when the defect is not detected during the process of laminating touch panels, and only later found during assembly, the sources said. Since the manufacturing process of touch panels used in iPhone 5 is of the same as that for iPhone 4, Wintek is expected to remedy the defect quickly, the sources indicated.
For its part, Wintek claims that all of its products are being delivered to customers on schedule.
It is unclear just how big of an effect the issue might have on iPhone supplies, as no estimate of the percentage of Wintek's panel production affected by the defect is given in the report, and Wintek is only responsible for 20-25% of total iPhone touch panel production. TPK is Apple's primary touch panel supplier, with Chimei Innolux also contributing some production capacity.
Also unclear is just what device is being addressed in the report, as it is still uncertain whether Apple be introducing both a redesigned iPhone 5 and an "iPhone 4S" that is nearly identical in appearance to the iPhone 4. Several reports from Apple's supply chain have suggested that there is no sign of a redesigned iPhone 5 at this time and that the iPhone 4S may be the only release for Apple next month.
The North Carolina Utilities Commission today officially approved (PDF) Apple's proposal to construct a 4.8-megawatt fuel cell electric generating facility near its data center in Maiden, North...
In the week since Apple's last developer update of OS X Mountain Lion, several new features including hints of automatic app downloads have been discovered in the next-generation operating...
BGR reports that Microsoft is planning to launch Office for iOS in November this year, with the source claiming first-hand knowledge of the software running on an iPad. With the app's splash...
The Palo Alto Online has unearthed plans for a new glass-enclosed retail store going in near the current Stanford mini-store at the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, CA.
The store will have...
Earlier this week, Apple CEO Tim Cook met with his counterpart from Samsung, Choi Gee-sung, as part of court-mediated talks seeking to find common ground in the ongoing patent battles between the two...
