Touch Panel Defects May Result in Minor Shortfall of Initial 'iPhone 5' Shipments

MacRumors · Sep 23, 2011

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".

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.

Article Link: Touch Panel Defects May Result in Minor Shortfall of Initial 'iPhone 5' Shipments

pewra · Sep 23, 2011

A phone we think doesn't exist might be delayed from a date we don't know about to some other time?

jpmcnown · Sep 23, 2011

All I've gotta say, is if whatever iPhone comes out, if it fails to be both LTE and 1080p video recording, I'll be going back to an Android phone.

Northgrove · Sep 23, 2011

Let's announce it first, and we can worry about shipments later...

stevemiller · Sep 23, 2011

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)

A new problem suggests a new screen

FourCandles · Sep 23, 2011

pewra said:
A phone we think doesn't exist might be delayed from a date we don't know about to some other time?

Yep, all due to possible problems at a supplier that we don't yet know will be supplying parts for the new phone, with an assumed specification.

slrandall · Sep 23, 2011

jpmcnown said:
All I've gotta say, is if whatever iPhone comes out, if it fails to be both LTE and 1080p video recording, I'll be going back to an Android phone.

I honestly don't think anyone has steady enough hands to notice the difference in quality of a video taken from a phone that can record 720p vs. one that can do 1080p.

chrmjenkins · Sep 23, 2011

pewra said:
A phone we think doesn't exist might be delayed from a date we don't know about to some other time?

Woah now, don't assume we know so much.

jpmcnown said:
All I've gotta say, is if whatever iPhone comes out, if it fails to be both LTE and 1080p video recording, I'll be going back to an Android phone.

If you think there is any chance of LTE, you haven't been paying attention.

boshii · Sep 23, 2011

Why would there be problems if they've been producing the same screen for over a year?

Unless...

darbus69 · Sep 23, 2011

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_5 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8L1 Safari/6533.18.5)

Tim Cook and Apple need to go a different direction with this corporate secrecy, it's outlived it's usefulness-everyone knows and expects Apple to manufacture innovative and aesthetically pleasing devices which help change the world. consequently, when we are starved of official information we start reading stories such as this into being something that probably have no real merit on new products which the thought of at this juncture is driving us all (most) nuts. Apple, give the world a break and cut the fog and give us some tasty "official" morsels once in a while-it's all too rediculous and unnecessary anymore...

MacinDoc · Sep 23, 2011

stevemiller said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)

A new problem suggests a new screen

My thoughts exactly. Obviously this isn't a problem with the existing iPhone 4 screen, so something must be in the pipes that at least has a screen with different dimensions.

Dylan35 · Sep 23, 2011

After if announced

As soon as they get round to announcing it samsung will take it to court and it will be banded across Europe

chrmjenkins · Sep 23, 2011

stevemiller said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)

A new problem suggests a new screen

boshii said:
Why would there be problems if they've been producing the same screen for over a year?

Unless...

Wintek is an existing supplier, so it could be the case. I believe that Apple changed the lamination process on the iphone 4, and if the screen is staying, that shouldn't be it. It would seem to suggest a new or different process or that they're just pushing much higher volume than before and quality is suffering. I think a lot of us will remember the glue under the screens of the iphone 4 that eventually dried, but we saw it anyway because production time to in our hands was so short.

Thefan · Sep 23, 2011

No Delay

If they said all products will ship on time, then all will ship on time. I see some shortages happening regardless of when it ships due to the popularity, but both phones will be announced on October 4th. The new iphone 5 is coming in October whether or not the stock market or the people who aren't due for an upgrade yet want it to, haha.

Pulsedriver81 · Sep 23, 2011

MacinDoc said:
My thoughts exactly. Obviously this isn't a problem with the existing iPhone 4 screen, so something must be in the pipes that at least has a screen with different dimensions.

chrmjenkins said:
Wintek is an existing supplier, so it could be the case. I believe that Apple changed the lamination process on the iphone 4, and if the screen is staying, that shouldn't be it. It would seem to suggest a new or different process or that they're just pushing much higher volume than before and quality is suffering. I think a lot of us will remember the glue under the screens of the iphone 4 that eventually dried, but we saw it anyway because production time to in our hands was so short.

I agree to some point, but a new screen doesn´t meen a new formfactor or a larger screen. It just meen a new screen. The update from 3G to 3GS also included a new screen...

My first post here by the way!

TheOrioles33 · Sep 23, 2011

jpmcnown said:
All I've gotta say, is if whatever iPhone comes out, if it fails to be both LTE and 1080p video recording, I'll be going back to an Android phone.

Because you really need LTE and 1080p right?

Instead you'll settle for the laggy buggy OS known as Android.

reckless2k2 · Sep 23, 2011

thinner screens

Wasn't there something about thinner screens a while ago? It could be something as simple as that. The production would have changed and now possible issues with it.

I'm starting to think we are not going to see a redesign as many have hoped. I think this time around it's all about the software.

Thefan · Sep 23, 2011

Pulsedriver81 said:
I agree to some point, but a new screen doesn´t meen a new formfactor or a larger screen. It just meen a new screen. The update from 3G to 3GS also included a new screen...

My first post here by the way!

If you reallly believe this, then you're going to be in for a big surprise come October 4th. And I would never use the transition from the 3G to the 3GS as a comparison as many others are doing on several blogs. This is a completely different market producing a completely different generation of phones. Apple knows what it has to do to compete this and next year, and trust me, an updated iphone 4 would never be that answer.

*LTD* · Sep 23, 2011

darbus69 said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_5 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8L1 Safari/6533.18.5)

Tim Cook and Apple need to go a different direction with this corporate secrecy, it's outlived it's usefulness-everyone knows and expects Apple to manufacture innovative and aesthetically pleasing devices which help change the world. consequently, when we are starved of official information we start reading stories such as this into being something that probably have no real merit on new products which the thought of at this juncture is driving us all (most) nuts. Apple, give the world a break and cut the fog and give us some tasty "official" morsels once in a while-it's all too rediculous and unnecessary anymore...

Yo've just proven part of the wisdom of Apple's "secrecy."

Muad'Dib · Sep 23, 2011

The thinner screens were for the iPhone 4 IIRC. The way the digitizer and LCD were assembled with the front glass changed so that it would be thinner.

Pulsedriver81 · Sep 23, 2011

Thefan said:
If you reallly believe this, then you're going to be in for a big surprise come October 4th. And I would never use the transition from the 3G to the 3GS as a comparison as many others are doing on several blogs. This is a completely different market producing a completely different generation of phones. Apple knows what it has to do to compete this and next year, and trust me, an updated iphone 4 would never be that answer.

I´m sory if I wasn´t clear of what I meant. I am NOT saying I believe there will only be an Iphone 4S. On the contrary...I believe very much there will be a new Iphone with a redesign (Iphone 5) and it has to have a larger screen. What I am saying is that the information given in this article doesn´t point to a larger screen at all, just a new screen. I hope I was clearer know...

ckurt25 · Sep 23, 2011

slrandall said:
I honestly don't think anyone has steady enough hands to notice the difference in quality of a video taken from a phone that can record 720p vs. one that can do 1080p.

What about just setting it on a dressor or night stand to make some "home movies" with your iPhone?

MacinDoc · Sep 23, 2011

Pulsedriver81 said:
I´m sory if I wasn´t clear of what I meant. I am NOT saying I believe there will only be an Iphone 4S. On the contrary...I believe very much there will be a new Iphone with a redesign (Iphone 5) and it has to have a larger screen. What I am saying is that the information given in this article doesn´t point to a larger screen at all, just a new screen. I hope I was clearer know...

You are absolutely correct, of course, it just means that the screen is likely different in some way, not necessarily size. One could ask, however, why Apple would make minor modifications to a screen that is successfully being produced in bulk. There would be no benefit to increasing pixel density, although I suppose Apple could go with something like AMOLED. OTOH, Apple has repeatedly stated that current AMOLED production can not meet its demand for iPhone/iPod/iPad screens. Thinner screens were introduced with the iPhone 4, so I don't think it would be that. Perhaps a new Retina Display with higher contrast or reduced energy consumption? Well that wouldn't be a bad thing; you'll never see me complain about improved battery life, and Samsung does claim that its AMOLED screens are superior because of a higher contrast ratio.

accessoriesguy · Sep 23, 2011

pewra said:
A phone we think doesn't exist might be delayed from a date we don't know about to some other time?

that is so awesome :apple:

iSee · Sep 24, 2011

jpmcnown said:
All I've gotta say, is if whatever iPhone comes out, if it fails to be both LTE and 1080p video recording, I'll be going back to an Android phone.

You might as well go now then, because all signs point to no LTE yet.

Touch Panel Defects May Result in Minor Shortfall of Initial 'iPhone 5' Shipments

macrumors bot

macrumors regular

macrumors member

macrumors 65816

macrumors 68000

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 6502

macrumors 603

macrumors 68040

macrumors regular

macrumors 68020

macrumors newbie

macrumors 603

macrumors member

macrumors member

macrumors 6502

macrumors 6502a

macrumors member

macrumors G4

macrumors 6502

macrumors member

macrumors 65816

macrumors 68020

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 68040

Our Staff