Apple’s plans for its 2018 lineup of iPhones includes three models, with two of them sporting OLED panels and a third one coming with a standard LCD display as per rumours. The company is reportedly planning to start the trial production of these iPhones during the next quarter. According to a DigiTimes report, Apple will kick off trial production of its 2018 iPhones series as early as second quarter of 2018. This is earlier than previous years and in reaction to the production issues faced by the last year’s iPhone X.
The report cites Taiwan-based IC design houses which revealed Apple is looking to avoid manufacturing delays caused by low yield rates on the production of 3D sensor modules introduced in iPhone X. The move comes against a backdrop of falling iPhone sales which have seen a downward trend since 2015.
"The kick-off of the trial production will help push ahead the delivery schedules for 2018 iPhone devices so that they will rekindle its smartphone momentum, said the sources, adding that sales of iPhone 8, 8 Plus and iPhone X have been lower than expected," the source claimed.
With Apple now planning to make 3D sensing technology a standard for its upcoming iPhones, the company will naturally have to amp up the productions added the report. This essentially also confirms the upcoming iPhone 2018 series will come equipped with the company’s advanced facial recognition technology dubbed “Face ID”.
Apple's 2018 iPhone series are expected to consist of two OLED-based iPhones, a 5.85-inch iPhone X2 and a 6.45-inch iPhone X Plus and an LCD model, the 6.1-inch iPhone X SE (iPhone SE2).
Previously, Digitimes senior analyst Luke Lin reported that the 5.8-inch model of the 2018 iPhone X would be cheaper to manufacture when compared to the current Apple iPhone X.
Citing information from Apple’s upstream supply chain, he claimed the new device’s manufacturing bill of materials (MBOM) is more than 10 percent lower the original iPhone X, which cost Apple $400 to build. This cost-saving will be passed along to the customer, claimed Lin, making the 5.85in iPhone X the cheapest of Apple's 2018 iPhones.
