You say that as if we live in a universe where AliExpress does not exist.
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Apple Drops BOE iPhone Displays After Discovering Unexpected Design Changes
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If only Apple cared half as much about the crappy display in the iPad Mini 6.
Or they could just tell shareholders that constraints related to COVID-19 could lower sales by as much as $8 billion, like Tim Cook did.
The owner of BOE as his eye on a super yacht or palace by the sea, cutting corners would simply make it happen sooner.
Its pretty normal in this space, although it usually isn't to reduce operating costs but increase yields. Just like an architect will design a house and then the builders have to change the design to make it actually work, PCB designers will design a board and to increase yields, the PCB maker will make slight modifications to make it work without informing the parent company. This is also how companies keep clients, when they switch to someone else and their quality plummets, they'll come back without knowing why the competitor was so bad.
Their motive is an assumption. While not unreasonable, it also might be that right now they can't get/produce enough of the other parts.
In the original article in The Elec, the design change theory is only speculated:
BOE almost made no iPhone OLED panels since February
BOE almost made no iPhone OLED panels since February
If you want to see how bad this used to be, read "Poorly made in China."
You basically have to have a dedicated QA team on-site. For smaller customers you're basically screwed if the manufacturer does this.
It's interesting, I've talked to a few people now that would rather manufacture here because of behavior like this. I mean, you order, and what happens if they send you 20,000 units but have the color wrong? You're not going to return it or sue them; you're stuck.
One person who does small lots (5000 pieces) say that US small-MOQ manufacturing is better now. From a machinery and tooling point of view small-MOQ equipment is becoming more accessible as well, although it's amusing that most of those are made in China too.
Remember that great line from Ozark: "It's not the first time they stole, it's the first time they got caught."
You basically have to have a dedicated QA team on-site. For smaller customers you're basically screwed if the manufacturer does this.
It's interesting, I've talked to a few people now that would rather manufacture here because of behavior like this. I mean, you order, and what happens if they send you 20,000 units but have the color wrong? You're not going to return it or sue them; you're stuck.
One person who does small lots (5000 pieces) say that US small-MOQ manufacturing is better now. From a machinery and tooling point of view small-MOQ equipment is becoming more accessible as well, although it's amusing that most of those are made in China too.
Remember that great line from Ozark: "It's not the first time they stole, it's the first time they got caught."
In a previous role I was involved in developing products manufactured in the Far East, but the further down the supply chain you go the lower the quality. When we got 3 or 4 layers down there was no QA process, but unfortunately there was also no incoming inspection so problems got into the end products.
FWIW we tried buying display products from BOE, they were more communicative and helpful than their Japanese/Korean competitors, but seemed to be a bit behind on bleeding edge technology.
FWIW we tried buying display products from BOE, they were more communicative and helpful than their Japanese/Korean competitors, but seemed to be a bit behind on bleeding edge technology.
That’s such an American take. Not all of China is “dodgy”, based on a few knock off manufactures. Also high priced, name brands, with big marketing budgets doesn’t mean quality. Like the original commenter said, it’s the American companies setting that cheap standard, to make the most profit possible. Knock offs are just cutting off the American middle man.
That’s a big no-no in the manufacturing world. Especially in electronics where everything is tested in a certain configuration and any change goes through Engineering test changes.
Surprised Apple didn’t put them on Probation.
Surprised Apple didn’t put them on Probation.
The Chinese by no means have an exclusive on this.
Both US and European suppliers, in various industries, have been caught doing this too.
You are blaming contract manufacturers who manufacture to a design for a price.
Besides not being design responsible they are likely not certification responsible. The designer distributor is likely responsible for this.
Of course there are manufacturers and assemblers who cheat in their operations too. It’s just not as one sided as your remark indicates.
I’ve restructured and desourced American suppliers who have done similar.
Some of my own employer’s plant managers (in EU and the Americas) accepted the risks associated with doing this to our customers just to increase their performance metric numbers. They were caught after their cheats caused recalls and near recalls.
Greed, and fear, are powerful motivators for unethical actions world-wide.
This is why, even with zero-defect and self-certification strategies, regular continuing conformance spot checks and audits by the purchasing or regulating authority are necessary.
Skeptical? Think it’s only Asia? Then, may I remind you of a decade-long emissions fraud scheme conducted by the VW Group?
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well the Germans did live up to the stereotype by over-engineering the cheat.
It's waaaaay past time for Apple to get out of China permanently. Why support a Communist regime financially? Really! 
I wish people looked up what communism truly is. As far as Im aware the nearest tuing you'll get to communism on this planet is maybe a kibbutz.It's waaaaay past time for Apple to get out of China permanently. Why support a Communist regime financially? Really!