Apple has entered its trial production phase of the iPhone 14, wherein the company produces a small number of the upcoming handset to prepare for mass production later.
Per recent reports, assemblers Foxconn and Luxshare have begun the trial production phase.
When an iPhone assembler begins the trial production stage, it has four main goals. First, the assembler plans its production process to identify any problems that might crop up. Second, the manufacturer evaluates its planned assembly process with an eye to improving efficiency.
The third goal is to collect data, including how many units the plant can assemble per hour. Finally, the factory must use the trial production phase to develop a suitable quality monitoring process.
It’s also thought that Luxshare, which was promoted to an iPhone assembler for some units, including iPhone 13 Pro units, will be an assembler for the base-model iPhone 14.
Foxconn, apparently, will get the contract for assembling all of Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models, according to Taiwan Economic Daily.
As in previous years, assemblers should begin trial production toward the end of February. That should put Apple on track to announce the new flagship smartphone in the fall of 2022. Rumors have indicated some major design changes for the new handset.
Among the changes, analysts suggest the iPhone 14 will reduce the Face ID notch to a hole-punch design. This could be a single camera, or a pill-shaped hole with Face ID built in. Memory may also be more plentiful in the iPhone 14, with up to 8GB in the Pro models (currently, the iPhone 13 Pro has 6GB of RAM).
Other reports have cited a much-improved 48MP camera, which would quadruple the megapixels currently available. If Apple holds to previous timelines, the iPhone 14 announcement will come in September or October.
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Via The Mac Observer and Taiwan Economic Daily