Reuters is reporting that iPhone 6 production was disrupted for part of June and July after Apple was forced to abandon its plans to use a thinner display backlighting system in the new handset.
Suppliers to Apple are scrambling to get enough screens ready for the new iPhone 6 smartphone as the need to redesign a key component disrupted panel production ahead of next month’s expected launch, supply chain sources said …
We reported in June that Apple’s quest for thinness had led the company to try switching from two brightness element films in the display to just one, and that the higher quality requirements of the single layer of film could threaten production yields. Reuters now says that Apple was forced to abandon this plan.
This would not be the first reported glitch to cause delays in production of the iPhone 6, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stating last month that the larger 5.5-inch model was likely to be delayed due to yield issues with the in-cell touch panel and color unevenness in the metal casing.
The new configuration was not bright enough and the backlight was sent back to the drawing board to fit in the extra layer, costing precious time and temporarily idling some screen assembly operations
Nothing seems likely to change the expected 9th September announcement date, though it is possible that early supplies may be somewhat constrained.
