Apple said to recruit more Chinese suppliers for iPhone 13 production
Apple said to recruit more Chinese suppliers for iPhone 13 production
More Chinese suppliers will be helping Apple manufacture the iPhone 13 this year.
Sources told Nikkei Asia that Chinese firm Luxshare Precision Industry will build up to 3% of the iPhone 13 lineup. Luxshare is believed to be manufacturing the iPhone 13 Pro this month, a first for a newcomer to Apple's supply chain.
Lens Technology, which used to supply glass backs and cover glass for the iPhone, is expected to provide metal casings for the iPhone for the first time. China's biggest smartphone camera lens maker, Sunny Optical also entered the supply chain for the first time this year. It is rumoured to be supplying rear camera lenses for the iPhone 13.
For OLED displays, the sources claim that BOE Technology will start to supply panels for the iPhone 13 lineup as early as next quarter if Apple gives its approval. There are other Chinese firms which appeared on Apple's supplier list such as display maker Tianma Micro-Electronics, and memory chip makers GigaDevice Semiconductor and Nexperia.
Apple is reportedly optimistic about the sales of the iPhone 13 models and has tasked suppliers to build up to 90 million units by the end of the year. This marks a huge increase from the usual order of 75 million units. The iPhone 13 could be announced in the third week of September.
Source: Nikkei Asia