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Apple Apparently Still Undecided on iPhone 18 Pro Dynamic Island
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You have no idea how long (and difficult) tooling, sourcing, manufacturing, takes, if they make a new cutout. They have to do the visual and touchscreen display tooling process to include the new dimensions. Then the front camera module needs to be designed and manufactured to fit the right display cutout too (which requires its own tooling process). The glass fits on top of all of it (which if they are putting things like the flood illuminator under the display the glass composition may have changed so the FI can penetrate through the glass), not just the cutout. This doesn’t even get into test runs, the time needed to fix hiccups, and then doing more test runs after, until they get it right. There is no way they’re deciding this late. It’s less than 6 months. Sorry.
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Absolutely, no idea where this idea keeps coming from that Apple’s just picking and choosing which components, camera modules, screen sizes to use a month before they announce a product.
Klasma their going to have to differentiate between the 18 pro’s and the 17 pro’s or else they’ll look the same. The probably already decided smaller DI for the 18 pro max only.
JPack
macrumors P6
You're stuck thinking Apple has a linear development strategy. Apple and many other tech companies lean heavily into Parallel Prototyping. Why do you think Apple has a $30B R&D budget?
A tentpole feature like Face ID or Titanium frame doesn't just have one team working on a single solution. They have multiple teams working on different versions of the same product concurrently. Apple wants to launch the best possible product each year, which means multiple teams developing multiple options.
Why do you think there's a stage called DVT? It's to ensure the pessimistic and optimistic designs are scrapped. If Apple can figure out during DVT how to ramp the under display Face ID design, they will do it.
Research teams trying to find best option is not manufacturing and the tooling and sourcing required for whatever they end up doing. They have to scale up to mass production. I don’t think you get what I’m talking about here.
Dr McKay
macrumors 601
jz0309
macrumors P6
parallel development - sure
we are way beyond development, first iPhone 18 Pros will be in customers hands in just over 5 months, the components are in full manufacturing swing.
Apple does not have a A/B/C plan to build millions of components in parallel.
This "leak" is pure BS
DocMultimedia
macrumors 68030
If they are A/B testing at this late stage the iPhone will be delayed. But we are used to that big D word lately. 😴
JPack
macrumors P6
Probably because you've never worked in China and witnessed how development of electronics happens.
Again, Apple has a $30B+ R&D budget. They pay a huge number of suppliers very early to design and qualify backups for all components to enable a quick pivot if needed. This means a chassis suppliers for example can make "soft tools" or molds made of aluminum or silicone and test parts carved by CNC. Once Apple has confirmed the final design, they can make the steel molds. This applies to everything from the dot projector, logic board, to the chassis.
You keep assuming a $4T company has this single path with no alternative options.
This story isn't even that complicated. Apple is simply choosing between an optimistic (under display Face ID) or pessimistic (same as iPhone 17) option.
musicmachine
macrumors member
From a marketing standpoint if they shrink the island and give it a black color it would take sales away from the fold. If they keep DI same with no black option it would entice buyers to jump to the fold which would come in black. So I won’t be surprised if it doesn’t change.
JPack
macrumors P6
Components haven't even ramped, or else we'd start seeing the classic photo leaks of components. Apple pays hundreds millions of dollars of NRE costs to various suppliers to get ready to implement two or three different options.
Again, what is being talked about here? We're only talking about the IR illuminator being:
A) Within the TrueDepth module, OR
B) Separated and put in the left corner
That's it. This is not some massive unanticipated redesign. It's a choice between an optimistic or pessimistic design.
And you have? Where do you work?
You keep talking about research and development. That is not what I’m talking about. I seriously doubt they get manufacturing companies to create every possibility (beyond prototyping) ready to ramp up and pivot late. Source it.
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HouseLannister
macrumors 68040
I don't know why you would think the crunch culture we see in Apple's software doesn't also extend to its hardware. A/B testing the Pro in April and running into problems with test production on the Fold. That's normal. It's just less normal for us to hear about it. The iPhone is planned years in advance, but it isn't until the spring that they get their first hands on and learn what works well and what doesn't and then they pivot. They are such a power in the industry that they can scrap everything now and still ship in the fall. The only thing that changed is that the dome of silence at Apple has more holes in it nowadays.
Next you'll be telling us there's 2 options: one option retains the existing screen mold, while the other features a 'Mini Dynamic Island' with the Face ID receiver/transmitter (RX) components positioned beneath the display.
RSmith2023
macrumors 65816
JPack
macrumors P6
R&D includes Development.
Guess what DVT lands? It's the transition before manufacturing begins.
Apple doesn't get their suppliers to make "every possibility" but rather only three or four. A/B/C/D
That’s interesting. I would have to see more sources on them making manufacturers build out 4 possibilities to late pivot for such serious critical components.
Attachments
Reeneman
macrumors 68000
For sure not. You have long term contracts. They won’t be able to switch this a couple of months before the device enters production.
JPack
macrumors P6
Long term contracts meaning what?
Apple is still buying the Face ID module. Whether the IR illuminator is separate or integrated, they're still buying it. In situations where Apple cannot buy, they pay for the design and ramp equipment (e.g. Cirrus Logic HPMS story). Money buys a lot of stuff.
surferfb
macrumors 68030
I was coming on here to dunk on this article, but I actually think you've convinced me you (and it) could be right here.
It's totally conceivable that they've been running two complete parallel development tracks simultaneously, both of which were locked in and tooled up many months ago. The "decision" still pending is which pre-built, pre-validated option goes to mass production, almost certainly contingent on whether the under-display Face ID yields are hitting acceptable thresholds. If the new sensor arrangement is passing validation, they go with the smaller Dynamic Island. If it's failing, they fall back to the existing screen mold they've been running in parallel as insurance.
Now, I everything I've ever read is that Apple locks in the design 12-18 months in advance, so I don't know how to square that circle, but this is entirely reasonable as far as manufacturing goes.