DigiTimes

Apple's sales of refurbished iPhones saw double-digit growth in 2022, further solidifying its dominance in the global market for returned and repackaged smartphones. According to Counterpoint Research (via DigiTimes), Apple's refurbished sales grew by 16%, earning it a 49% share of the market last year, up from 44% in 2021. While Apple controlled almost half of the market, Samsung was a...

Apple is likely to bring on board another supply partner for the iPhone 15 Pro Max as it seeks to recruit an additional lens module specialist for the device's new periscope camera. This year's iPhone 15 Pro Max is expected to include a periscope camera system, in which light entering the telephoto lens is reflected by an angled mirror towards the camera's image sensor. The change in...

Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Pegatron, which was believed to be the exclusive partner for assembly of Apple's mixed-reality headset, has been removed from the device's supply chain, DigiTimes reports. Apple headset concept render by Marcus Kane. The paywalled report explains that Apple requested Pegatron to hand over manufacturing and final assembly operations to Chinese supplier...

Apple's rumored 5G modem project has multiple suppliers interested in assisting with final assembly of the chip, according to a new report. While the custom-designed modem will likely be manufactured by Apple's chipmaking partner TSMC, the final packaging stage may be handled by other suppliers. Taiwanese supply chain publication DigiTimes today reported that ASE Technology and Amkor...

A new Apple Watch Ultra with a microLED display will be released in 2024 or 2025, according to Taiwanese supply chain publication DigiTimes. The report claims that Apple plans to extend the technology to iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks too eventually. The report reiterates that Apple has been actively developing microLED technology since it acquired California-based company LuxVue in 2014....

Apple supplier TSMC is making strides to improve its production capacity for chips based on its cutting-edge 3-nanometer process technology, according to industry sources, which is expected to debut in this year's iPhone 15 Pro and upcoming MacBook models. DigiTimes reports that TSMC's 5nm fabrication capacity began to loosen in November 2022 as a result of reduced orders from Apple, amongst ...

Apple is planning to "re-examine" its development of artificial intelligence, according to Taiwanese supply chain publication DigiTimes. The paywalled report suggests that the growing interest in generative AI catalyzed by ChatGPT has motivated a re-evaluation of how the technology is developed at major companies like Apple, Meta, and Amazon. These companies are purportedly making efforts to ...

Apple's upcoming iPhone 15 Pro models may spark a "replacement demand" among owners of older iPhones, due to the significant improvements enabled by the A17 processor, Apple's first iPhone chip based on TSMC's first-generation 3-nanometer process. That's according to suppliers involved in Apple's iPhone supply chain. Quoting from the latest DigiTimes industry report: TSMC's N3E (3nm...

Apple's rumored 15-inch MacBook Air will be equipped with the M2 chip, according to Taiwanese supply chain publication DigiTimes. The report claims the laptop will be released in the second quarter of 2023, which runs from April through June. "Industry sources said the 15-inch MacBook Air began mass production after the Lunar New Year and is expected to be released in the second quarter,"...

Apple plans to release a new MacBook Air series in the second quarter of 2023, according to Taiwanese supply chain publication DigiTimes. "The first quarter of 2023 is expected to see Apple's MacBook shipping low, but the second quarter will see the release of a new MacBook Air series, according to industry sources," reads a paywalled preview of a DigiTimes report shared today. The full...

A new Apple Watch Ultra with a larger 2.1-inch display will be released in 2024, according to a report today from Taiwanese publication DigiTimes, citing industry sources. This lines up with information shared last month by Jeff Pu, a tech analyst at Hong Kong-based investment firm Haitong International Securities. The current Apple Watch Ultra has around a 1.93-inch display, so the 2024...

An Apple supplier is preparing to begin shipments of lenses to be used in Apple's upcoming AR/VR headset, according to a report today by DigiTimes. Concept render based on purported leaked information by Ian Zelbo The report states that Genius Electronic Optical (GSEO) will supply lens modules for Apple's upcoming headset, rumored to be called "Reality Pro," with shipments starting as soon ...

Apple plans to release a new MacBook Air in the second half of 2023, and it may be equipped with a 3nm chip, according to a report today from Taiwanese publication DigiTimes. This chip would likely be Apple's next-generation M3 chip, which would offer faster performance and improved power efficiency compared to Apple's current 5nm chips. "The supply chain is more focused on the more...

Apple's next-generation 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips were slated to hit the market in "early 2023," but the laptops are now expected to be "delayed once again," according to Taiwanese publication DigiTimes. The report does not offer a revised launch timeframe for the new MacBook Pros. In his newsletter last weekend, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple...

Apple could be one of the only major device makers in 2023 to adopt the newer and more advanced 3nm process technology, as Qualcomm and MediaTek are unclear on whether the newer process is worth it. According to a report by DigiTimes, Qualcomm and MediaTek, two of the largest chip makers, remain unsure on whether they want to follow in Apple's footsteps and start producing ‌3nm‌ chips in...

One of Apple's leading mini-LED suppliers says demand for displays in consumer products is shrinking while demand for mini-LED in other use cases is rising as Apple eyes a transition to move its iPad and MacBook line to OLED displays in the coming years. A new report from DigiTimes today cites industry sources within Epistar, which has been providing mini-LED displays to Apple for some...

Apple's main chip supplier TSMC will kick off mass production of 3nm chips this week, with Apple being the primary customer of the new process, which could first be used in upcoming M2 Pro chips expected to power updated MacBook Pro and Mac mini models. According to the new report by DigiTimes, TSMC will start mass production of its next-generation ‌3nm‌ chip process on Thursday, December...

The iPhone 15 series will continue to feature Qualcomm 5G modems, according to a report today by DigiTimes, as development at Apple on a custom-made chip continues. Apple is currently developing an in-house 5G modem that aims to replace Qualcomm's Snapdragon 5G chips within the coming years. The report today says that TSMC will be the main supplier of the Qualcomm 5G chip for use in the ‌iPho...

Apple will turn to Samsung for memory used in iPhones ahead of the imposition of U.S. export controls on one of China's top NAND flash chipmakers, reports DigiTimes. Apple originally intended to buy 128-layer 3D NAND flash memory chips from Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC) for use in iPhones sold in the Chinese market as early as this year, with the possibility of eventually purchasing up...

Apple is moving forward on development of its mixed-reality headset with Pegatron set to be the exclusive partner for final assembly, according to DigiTimes. Based on the headset's current status in the manufacturing validation process, the report predicts that mass production is likely to begin in March 2023 with an unveiling possibly being held the following month. Initial production is...