Apple Suppliers 'Scrambling' to Produce Enough iPhone 6 Displays After Issues With New Backlight

[samcraig]

This obsession with thinness really needs to put on pause. There's a point where I don't want my phone to be so thin that it feels like it will snap in my hand or shatter if it hits the edge of a desk, etc.

I actually prefer something a little heavier. Obviously not too heavy - but given the way ALL smartphones are these days - I happily choose longer battery over thinness.

 

[HiRez]

Pushing the limits until you fail is the only way to achieve the maximum.

The problem is, no one is clamoring for a thinner phone. I bet if you asked 1000 people if they want the thinnest possible iPhone, or an iPhone 1-2mm thicker that has longer battery life, no protruding camera lens, and no production issues (i.e. they can actually buy one), more than 900 would choose the latter.

 

[Piggie]

Pushing the limits until you fail is the only way to achieve the maximum.

Enjoy your heart attack then, I hope you recover.

Hows the flying lessons going?

 

[Wingsy]

Calm, People

Jeepers. You guys get all excited over something from Reuters? The all time Apple MisInformation Pipeline? Relax, and take my $10 bet that this rumor is false.

 

[bushido]

This obsession with thinness really needs to put on pause. There's a point where I don't want my phone to be so thin that it feels like it will snap in my hand or shatter if it hits the edge of a desk, etc.

I actually prefer something a little heavier. Obviously not too heavy - but given the way ALL smartphones are these days - I happily choose longer battery over thinness.

same it also makes it harder to be picked up from the table

 

[bananas]

Enjoy your heart attack then, I hope you recover.

Hows the flying lessons going?

How nice of you. Thanks!

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The problem is, no one is clamoring for a thinner phone. I bet if you asked 1000 people if they want the thinnest possible iPhone, or an iPhone 1-2mm thicker that has longer battery life, no protruding camera lens, and no production issues (i.e. they can actually buy one), more than 900 would choose the latter.

My point was this is what Apple does, they reach to the limits, sometimes failing, but they will come up with a nice design.

Asking thousand people what they want isn't what Apple does

 

[lincolntran]

There we go, the good ole production issue.

 

[iPhysicist]

You guys... optimum is the keyword. My iPhone4 lasts me 2 days of normal use. But its not my media center either. A phone is a phone is a phone. Apple won't cater to the "I use it only for 5 hours a day (for gaming or movies) and how dare it running out of juice" people.

 

[Piggie]

How nice of you. Thanks!

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My point was this is what Apple does, they reach to the limits, sometimes failing, but they will come up with a nice design.

Asking thousand people what they want isn't what Apple does

I was showing how "pushing till you fail" is one of those silly office motivational sayings which are a sad effort to try and get people to go more for you.

Ideally you would plan to the maximum you can, not just break it and back off a bit.

Apple will learn in time they have to change. Apple is still new with their iProducts, it's gimmicky and exciting. Most people, given time will get tired of being told how they are supposed to do things and Apple will gradually be forced into giving more and more choice.

It's funny how asking people what they want is seen as a negative.

Wonder how they would work in the restaurant business or leisure industry ?

Why would "I" as an individual want others deciding what I do and do not want? Unless I'm a child, or have a child like mentality and like others making decisions for me.

 

[vmachiel]

I'm always glad I'm on the S cycle. I don't have to worry about any of this: I get the hardware with all the kinks worked out.

 

[Rogifan]

It wouldn't be a new product release without rumors of issues or delays.

 

[Arnold Ziffel]

Pump and dump. Now that Apple's stock price has gone up, we need some negative rumors for clicks and to cause Apple's stock price to go down so people who short the stock will make lots of money. Expect many more negative rumors.

Indeed. This is more crap originating from the rumorsphere.

 

[rarsi123]

The problem is, no one is clamoring for a thinner phone. I bet if you asked 1000 people if they want the thinnest possible iPhone, or an iPhone 1-2mm thicker that has longer battery life, no protruding camera lens, and no production issues (i.e. they can actually buy one), more than 900 would choose the latter.

I bet the exact opposite, which is probably why apple is going in that direction. If you don't mind having a thick ugly phone, just stick a battery pack on it.

 

[iBug2]

Well, people do have been saying for years that they want bigger iPhones... And now it looks like Apple's "best managers" agree those people were right!

More like, let's sell the smaller ones as long as we can and build bigger ones only when it becomes more profitable for us.

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Asking thousand people what they want isn't what Apple does

Fortunately.

 

[Piggie]

I bet the exact opposite, which is probably why apple is going in that direction. If you don't mind having a thick ugly phone, just stick a battery pack on it.

So the iPhone 5s is a thick ugly phone you are saying, and future phones need to be thinner to get away from Apple's current ugly thick models?

Yes ?

 

[Crosscreek]

It's just silly this wasn't worked out in prototyping phase. Somebody is not paying attention. Think i'll wait for the 6S edition.
Maybe they will have the bugs worked out.

 

[Rafterman]

Apple needs to stop with this obsession with thinness. The iPhone is going to get so thin that its going to be uncomfortable to use. Its thin enough already. Most people want better and more features, not thin as a sheet of paper. Its a tool, not s fashion statement.

 

[Swordylove]

iPhone is the anorexic supermodel among phones. Bone structures are starting to bulge out. First, the camera...

As thin as possible... I'd love to see where this will go in a few years to come.

 

[charlituna]

Wasn't Cook supposed to be the expert at this kind of thing? Between the ugly design and the supply issues, I Miss Jobs

No. He isn't and never was. Cook is not a design engineer, or any other kind of engineer. Neither was Jobs by the by

And who is to say that any of this is true. It could just as easily be that some analyst was pushing out a rumor about one film, found out that was bogus, and in typical "I can't ever say i was wrong" form made up a rumor about issues so that when the phone comes with two films there's a reason other than 'that's how it was always going to be and the rumors were wrong'

happens all the time in this world. We were supposed to have the real Apple TV full set like 4 years ago but 'production issues' keep pushing it back. or did until they finally gave up about a year ago

 

[kilcher]

2 layers instead of 1? Great, now I'll have to return the iPhone 6 case I bought before the phone was even announced.

 

[charlituna]

How about... Just checking if everything works before mass producing a whole bunch of them?

how about checking the validity of sources before believing anything you read on the internet, especially if it comes from an analyst etc

 

[deconstruct60]

Wasn't Cook supposed to be the expert at this kind of thing?

Not really. The problem here is at an intersection of the parts selection and acquisition process. Acquiring parts is certainly a Supply Chain management issue. Asking for parts that don't exist is more so a design screw up. Who is suppose to know whether the supplier is blowing smoke about being able to deliver a part ( the designers or the folks supply chain quality control monitoring)? Depending upon how the design/QC are integrated who is exactly was to blame is probably squishy. It is probably a bit of both.

This whole thing would be a total non issue if the design had selected two layers in the first place. The design put them onto the path of driving into the swamp. Who should have yelled ... "we are now driving in a swamp" ? Frankly, when the case is sooooo thin that the camera is sticking out .... that just might be a clue the design is on a suspect track.

Kind of puzzling how this got through preliminary design verification other than perhaps some extremely cherry picked single layers got chosen as opposed to selecting several randomly from a larger set.

Between the ugly design and the supply issues, I Miss Jobs

Jobs was the ring leader on "ooooh it is some much thinner" as being a primary objective. That is primarily what screwed this up.

 

[usersince86]

Thin is in...

Practicality is out...

Maybe the new display will be incredible, but Apple's seeming obsession with "thinness" is kinda frustrating. Seriously.

 

[age234]

Why the hell is Apple so obsessed with thinness that they will cripple or cause massive manufacturing problems to shave off a fraction of a millimeter?

I just upgraded from a 13" 2011 to new 15" MBP, and I was shocked to find the new one is lighter and thinner than the old one. So much so that I'm a little afraid of breaking it. It doesn't feel flimsy, but it's just so light and thin. I imagine the iPhone will be amazing, but again, I'll be afraid of breaking it.

If they can get these components so thin, why not keep the phone the same size and increase the battery size? It's a win-win.

 

[Rogifan]

how about checking the validity of sources before believing anything you read on the internet, especially if it comes from an analyst etc

This site is called MacRumors, not MacFacts yet most of the rumors posted here are treated as fact. I don't get it. A highly reliable source at re/code says the new iPhones will be announced Sept 9 and we're supposed to believe Apple is still working through design issues? That doesn't pass the BS detector. Same with the WSJ report that claimed Apple was still deciding on what material to use for the display. I'm sorry but there's no way Apple doesn't have these things locked down a month (or less) out from when they'll be available for sale.