Apple Brings China's Luxshare Precision into iPhone 13 Supply Chain to Meet Production Targets

Apple is tapping more Chinese suppliers as it seeks to meet ambitious targets for iPhone 13 production, according to a new report by Nikkei Asia.

iPhone 13 Dummy Thumbnail 2
Apple is set to produce between 90 million and 95 million iPhones through January, according to a previous Nikkei report, and China's Luxshare Precision Industry has won 3% of orders away from Taiwanese rivals Foxconn and Pegatron.

Luxshare will start building the iPhone 13 Pro -- as the premium model is expected to be called -- this month, according to sources, a major breakthrough for a company that has never produced iPhones on its own. Newcomers to the Apple supply chain normally start out making older iPhone models. Two companies that Luxshare acquired last year, South Korean camera module maker Cowell and metal frame maker Casetek of Taiwan, will also supply key components and parts for this year's new iPhones, sources familiar with the matter said.

Despite Luxshare's small percentage of iPhone production this year, its involvement has reportedly rattled rival ‌iPhone‌ suppliers are said to be wary of the Chinese manufacturer's competitiveness and the possibility that it could steal away bigger chunks of orders in the future.

Luxshare's ability to break into ‌iPhone‌ production comes despite U.S. trade restrictions on China, whose increasing involvement in Apple's lucrative supply chain has reportedly come at the expense of rivals in the U.S., Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea.

For example, China-based Lens Technology has only supplied glass backs and cover glass for iPhones in the past, but this year it will also supply metal casings for the first time, according to Nikkei.

Meanwhile, China's biggest maker of smartphone camera lenses, Sunny Optical Technology, is also said to have entered the ‌iPhone‌ supply chain for the first time, supplying a small amount of rear camera lenses.

The news comes on the heels of multiple reports suggesting BOE Technology will soon begin supplying OLED panels for the ‌iPhone 13‌, pending approval from Apple, with several other Chinese suppliers and assemblers waiting in the wings.

Today's report highlights Apple's continuing mission to diversify its supply chain as much as possible, reducing risk and improve its bargaining power between major supply chain players like Foxconn and Samsung, which have traditionally dominated ‌iPhone‌ production.

The ‌iPhone 13‌ models are expected to be announced next month and will look similar to the 2020 ‌iPhone‌ lineup, with four devices in sizes that include 5.4-inches, 6.1-inches, and 6.7-inches, with two of the iPhones being higher-end "Pro" models and two positioned as lower-cost, more affordable devices.

For everything we know about what's new in the ‌iPhone 13‌ series, be sure to check out our dedicated roundup.

Related Roundup: iPhone 13
Tag: Nikkei
Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

robotica Avatar
35 months ago
I wouldn’t want to be one of the first to get one of these from a first time producer.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JPack Avatar
35 months ago
Luxshare helped Apple design and manufacture AirPods. They also supply mini LED. So of course Apple trusts Luxshare to build iPhones.

The other iPhone assembler is Wistron. After what happened in December with Indian workers rampaging through the factory, it’ll be a long time before Apple removes Wistron from their probation list.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Shirasaki Avatar
35 months ago

Apple needs to start sourcing things within the states and no continue to rely so heavily on China I have no doubt this will be an excellent phone can't water to upgrade.
Yeah, cause US has all the raw materials, plants, people, technology and such to manufacture new iPhone in a scale of the million right now, yet somehow such amazing production capacity remains untouched by Apple. /s
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
35 months ago

I wouldn’t want to be one of the first to get one of these from a first time producer.
Apple is not going to be blindfolded and give them an opportunity to produce millions of units. There is alot of QA that takes place.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tridley68 Avatar
35 months ago
Apple needs to start sourcing things within the states and not continue to rely so heavily on China I have no doubt this will be an excellent phone can't wait to upgrade.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Shirasaki Avatar
35 months ago

I wouldn’t want to be one of the first to get one of these from a first time producer.
But now with basically scrambled serial number, there is no telling from the outside which iPhone is manufactured by which.

Guess we would see lots of lottery threads heading in September.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
iPhone Home Screen Gradient Blank Spaces 1

Sources: iOS 18 Lets Apps Be Placed Anywhere on Home Screen Grid

Sunday March 24, 2024 1:33 pm PDT by
iOS 18 will give iPhone users greater control over Home Screen app icon arrangement, according to sources familiar with the matter. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, to ensure there is some uniformity, our sources say that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18. For example, we expect that the update will introduce...
iPad Pro 2024 Landscape Camera Feature

New iPad Pro Again Rumored to Feature Landscape Front-Facing Camera

Monday March 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
The next-generation iPad Pro will feature a landscape-oriented front-facing camera for the first time, according to the Apple leaker known as "Instant Digital." Instant Digital reiterated the design change earlier today on Weibo with a simple accompanying 2D image. The post reveals that the entire TrueDepth camera array will move to the right side of the device, while the microphone will...
sonoma desktop wwdc

Apple Releases macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 With Fix for USB Hub Bug

Monday March 25, 2024 10:10 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sonoma 14.4.1, a minor update for the macOS Sonoma operating system that launched last September. macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 comes three weeks after macOS Sonoma 14.4. The ‌‌‌‌macOS Sonoma‌‌ 14.4‌.1 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Settings. There's also a macOS 13.6.6 release for those who...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18 Will Finally Bring This Android Feature to iPhone

Monday March 25, 2024 6:42 am PDT by
iOS 18 will allow iPhone users to place app icons anywhere on the Home Screen grid, according to sources familiar with development of the software update. This basic feature has long been available on Android smartphones. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, our sources said that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18....
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
iphone reasons to upgrade

Apple Outlines 'Reasons to Upgrade' Your iPhone on New Website

Monday March 25, 2024 12:53 pm PDT by
Apple today added a "Why Upgrade" section to its website, which is aimed at encouraging customers with older iPhones to upgrade to a newer model. The website allows customers to compare the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max to the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max. Each comparison shows what new features someone with an older...