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A new report from Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) indicates that previously reported display issues in iPhone 15 production have already been solved.
Different reports recently surfaced about the issues Apple is facing in its iPhone 15 line production. One of them includes a report from the news website The Information, saying encountered problems with iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max display manufacturing.
The issue is reportedly due to the new display manufacturing process of the bezels of the units, which are expected to be slimmer than their iPhone 14 predecessors. The displays made by LG Display are said to be failing the reliability tests, pushing Apple to make some tweaks to solve it. And while the report shared that Apple can “continue to assemble a significant amount of units” since displays made by Samsung remain free from issues, it believes it will push Apple to produce fewer units at launch.
Nonetheless, a new press release by display supply chain global market research and consulting firm DSCC indicates that the LG display issue is now resolved. “Although several articles have reported that LGD was having technical issues for the narrower bezels on the iPhone 15 Pro models, our supply chain sources have noted that LGD has solved those issues,” the company shares in a recent report.
The report also shares other details about other technical issues happening at China-based BOE Technology and LG Display, such as dynamic island and growing dark spots (GDS). According to the report, this allows Samsung Display to have “a commanding share of panel shipments for the iPhone 15 series.”
When the dynamic island was introduced for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, an additional process step was added at the request of Apple. Traditionally, holes for the front camera and face ID area use lasers to cut the hole in the active area (HIAA) in the post process (module process). If the thin film encapsulation (TFE) is damaged, the OLED panel is exposed to moisture and oxygen, which can cause dark spots. For the dynamic island, there are two holes (one for the camera and one for the Face ID) that appear merged with the dynamic island form factor. Apple was concerned about the scattering and control of the laser particles and possible contamination of the TFE from moisture and oxygen. As such, an additional exposure layer (essentially a “dam” was built that separates the HIAA from the display area after the TFE and touch electrodes are added) instead of using a Laser and the HIAA is further flattened for uneven heights with inkjet equipment.
While DSCC’s report soothes some of the current issues revolving around the iPhone 15 manufacturing, some reports claim that the production is still far from flawless. To recall, Bank of America Global Research analyst Wamsi Mohan said that based on the checks with companies responsible for Apple’s supply chain, the iPhone 15 could be delayed by a few weeks. It reflects earlier reports about production problems, including the one from Barclays analyst Tim Long, who said the root cause is the component shortages, specifically in supplies of titanium alloy frame casing and camera module for iPhone 15.
