Apple Backs AirPods Assembler Luxshare to Move into iPhone 12 Production Early
Luxshare, Apple's key assembler of AirPods, is reportedly attempting to break into iPhone manufacturing ahead of schedule, a move backed by Apple and aimed at challenging Taiwanese rival Foxconn's dominance in the iPhone supply chain.
Earlier this year, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo mentioned the possibility of Luxshare pushing into the iPhone assembly business, starting with small-scale production of older iPhones and Apple Watch models. However, Nikkei today cites multiple sources claiming that Luxshare is already studying production of the new iPhone 12 mini at a Chinese plant that it is in the process of buying from Wistron.
The plant is in charge of roughly 20% of total orders for the iPhone 12 mini, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said.
"Luxshare is working with Wistron in making the latest iPhone 12 mini in Kunshan. [But] its pace for reaching a satisfactory production performance is slow. There's still a lot of room for Luxshare to learn," an executive-level source familiar with the situation said.
The move is said to be unusual because the purchase of the plant is not final, and Apple doesn't normally allow outside employees to visit suppliers' manufacturing sites, especially during the height of iPhone production season.
Luxshare bought Wistron's iPhone assembly plant in Kunshan, China, for $499 million in July to shore up its manufacturing links with Apple. Wistron has been an iPhone manufacturer itself since 2015, with plants in China and India, and Apple reportedly asked Wistron to share some of its iPhone production expertise with Luxshare as part of the deal.
Kuo previously said he believes Luxshare Precision will become a key iPhone case component supplier by the second half of 2021. The company is said to have a unique vertical integration advantage because it also provides many iPhone parts and accessories to Apple.
In related news reported earlier this week, Apple has suspended its partnership with Chinese-based Pegatron after it discovered that the major iPhone supplier was committing labor violations at a student workers' program. While Pegatron's current iPhone business is not expected to be affected, Bloomberg reported that it could lose some iPhone 12 orders to Luxshare next year.
Popular Stories
Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 next month, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls incoming as well....
The M4 MacBook Pro models feature quantum dot display technology, according to display analyst Ross Young. Apple used a quantum dot film instead of a red KSF phosphor film, a change that provides more vibrant, accurate color results.
Young says that Apple has opted for KSF for prior MacBook Pro models because it doesn't use toxic element cadmium (typical for quantum dot) and is more...
Wednesday November 13, 2024 11:01 am PST by
Juli CloverA trio of Apple customers this month filed a class action lawsuit against Apple, accusing the Cupertino company of violating California consumer protection laws and false advertising for continuing to sell AirPods Pro models that had ongoing issues with crackling or static sounds.
A few months after the AirPods Pro came out in October 2019, buyers began to complain about crackling, rattling, ...
Google has launched its dedicated Gemini artificial intelligence app for iPhone users, expanding beyond the previous limited integration within the main Google app. The standalone app offers enhanced functionality, including support for Gemini Live and iOS-specific features like Dynamic Island integration.
The new app allows iPhone users to interact with Google's AI through text or voice...
Wednesday November 13, 2024 11:59 am PST by
Juli CloverApple last week replaced the M3 Max MacBook Pro with the new M4 Max MacBook Pro, and we picked up one of the new high-end MacBook Pro machines to see how it compares to the prior model with both benchmarks and real-world tests.
We tested an M4 Max with a 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU, and 48GB RAM against an M3 Max MacBook Pro with similar specs. The two machines look similar, but the display on...
With iOS 18, Apple introduced a feature that causes the iPhone to reboot every three days, security researchers have confirmed (via TechCrunch). In a demo video, security researcher Jiska Classen proved that an iPhone left untouched for 72 hours will automatically restart, and Graykey manufacturer also Magnet Forensics wrote a blog post about the feature.
After a reboot, an iPhone is more...
