Mass production of iPhone 14 nears as Apple reportedly taps more suppliers

iPhone 14 expected to launch at Apple’s September event (opens in a new tab) — and Apple seems to be taking steps to avoid any kind of supply chain hassles. The tech giant has added to its list of suppliers for its upcoming iPhone 14 lineup to avoid supply chain disruptions once mass production of the devices begins.

According Ming Chi Kuo (opens in a new tab), an Apple analyst familiar with the company’s supply chain – SG Micro – a Chinese integrated circuit company, has been added to the company’s growing list of suppliers. In a series of tweets, Kuo details how SG Micro passed quality certification for high-end iPhone 14 models. This means that SG Micro will provide components for iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Specifically, the Chinese company will provide power management ICs (which manages the battery) to Apple, for this year’s premium iPhones.

Kuo notes that this is the first time that SG Micro will provide components for Apple’s high-end phones, which means that its chip’s technical capabilities have reached “Level 1” which is used by more electronic devices. Dear.

Delay in the production of the iPhone 14?

Apple is gearing up for mass production of the iPhone 14 series which is expected to launch this fall. But recently, there have been news of possible delays on various production fronts for the upcoming phones.

Kuo had recently said Apple faces supply issues with its panel and memory suppliers for the iPhone 14, although this should not affect the launch date of the phone. Apple apparently orders millions of components before launch, giving the company time to produce a large quantity of units. Kuo therefore said that it may have a “limited impact” on the shipment of the phones.

A few months ago, 9to5Mac (opens in a new tab) reported that a Nikkei Asia report (opens in a new tab) revealed that iPhone 14 production was delayed by three weeks due to COVID-19 lockdowns in China. This was corroborated by analyst Jeff Pu, who said the iPhone 14 Max might be the most affected model. Recently, Ross Young of Display Supply Chain Consultants also tweeted that iPhone 14 Max panel shipments were way behind the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which means the most exciting iPhone 14 model could be delayed.

Apple’s other products like the iPad have also faced supply issues. With the continued shortage of chips, we may see limited availability of some iPhone 14 models at launch.

Apple is expected to launch a 6.1-inch iPhone 14, a 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max (or iPhone 14 Plus), a 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro, and a 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max. This year we could really see a big difference between the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, only the Pros are expected to get Apple’s new A16 Bionic processor and a potentially more powerful 48MP main camera.

The iPhone 14 Max will likely have a bigger battery as well as a bigger screen than the standard iPhone 14. Otherwise, our iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Max comparison suggests many similarities between the two phones.

There’s some time between now and the rumored September launch of the iPhone 14 series, so we’re hoping Apple can sort out its supply issues – and adding it to its list of suppliers definitely seems like a step. in that direction.