Preordered iPhone 6 & iPhone 6 Plus Sales Top 10 Million – Can Apple’s Supply Chain Deliver?

How & Where Is The iPhone Made: A Comparison Of Apple’s Manufacturing Process
We call it the iPhone Saga, how Apple has perfected the art of juggling the global supply chain, its nose locked on where on earth to get suppliers that can offer the most efficient and best value parts under Apple’s strict quality benchmark.

The latest story is about the iPhone 6 using glass and not the rumored sapphire crystal. But the story is more than just the material; it’s whether the cover would be made in America or elsewhere.

When GT Advanced, the supplier of TouchID’s sapphire crystal, bumped up its facilities in Mesa, AZ, rumor had it that the iPhone 6 would feature a Made-in-the-USA sapphire crystal cover. It turned out iPhone 6 is still in glass, and it’s likely by Corning, which outsources its fabrication to Asia and France.

It appears that Apple is giving out top secrets and arming our biggest enemies with state-of-the-art technologies that can diminish our competitiveness.

Foxconn, Apple’s biggest supplier, which assembles the iPhones mostly in its facilities in China, has installed robots (nicknamed Foxbots) for the first time to meet its iPhone production quotas. How ever can this company invest in advanced robotics if not for the humongous Apple orders?

But, there’s the rub. It’s rumored Apple is exploring ways to scale down costs by trying robots over Chinese workers. If that sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve seen that before.

Our fathers still remember how Japanese robotics booted out many jobs in the American automotive industry. Yes, the China factory is maturing (higher wages and increasing competition from other Asian countries) and it’s inching closer to an American model.

I don’t know how things will turn out in the next five years, but that it won’t stay long as it is - America outsources, China receiveth. Who knows, China might one day, under pressure to cut costs, outsource jobs to, well, us?

Source: Alex Hillsberg, Comparecamp.com

5 Apple Suppliers That May Have Been Ejected From The iPhone Supply Chain?

Apple’s latest iPhone has finally arrived with record preordered sales, but the first full supply chain teardown could be at least a few days away.

Now that investors have read about the suppliers that are most likely to be found inside of the iPhone 6 (see infographic below), it’s time to take a look at those who may not be so lucky.

1. GT Advanced Technologies
To be clear, Apple never said that its agreement with GT Advanced Technologies had anything to do with the iPhone 6.

Investors now know Apple wanted the sapphire to build watches. GT Advanced could still make it into the iPhone 6 in some other capacity, but its sapphire is definitely not in the display.

2. Peregrine Semiconductor
Peregrine Semiconductor appears to be the only company that has come clean about its iPhone status.

While its technology could be found in older models, Peregrine will not be supplying any components for the iPhone 6. The company hopes to come back to Apple for the iPhone 6S (or whatever the next model may be), but supply contracts are not finalized for that device.

3. STMicroelectronics
STMicroelectronics has benefited from Apple’s use of accelerometers and gyroscope sensors, but the gravy train could soon be over. According to Barron’s, Apple might have chosen InvenSense’s technology over similar components from STMicroelectronics.

4. InvenSense
While the Barron’s report states that InvenSense could win big with the iPhone 6, a Forbes analysis suggests that Apple may not have replaced STMicroelectronics with InvenSense.

5. LG Display
LG Display no longer has an exclusive contract to supply Apple with in-cell displays. While that doesn’t mean LG has been completely barred from the iPhone 6, it is not yet known how many (if any) displays will be contributed.

Source: Louis Bedigian, Benzinga

Apple’s Global Supply Chain for the Manufacturing of The iPhone

Designed by: comparecamp.com Author: Alex Hillsberg

Many consumers could be going into the stores searching for and not finding the iPhone 6 Plus model and instead going home with the iPhone 6. While some models have longer lead-times versus last Saturday there are many more that have shorter lead-times and some model 6’s have same day shipment.

The improving lead-times will help Apple build on the 10 million iPhone 6’s and 6 Plus’ that the company sold in the first three days - You have to admire Apple’s Supply Chain!

Related: 7 Characteristics of Supply Chains to Admire