Apple chip suppliers gearing up capacity for 'iPhone 7' production - report

Right on schedule for a fall product launch, Apple's suppliers are said to be reserving "a significant portion" of production capacities for the second and third quarters of 2016, ahead of the highly anticipated "iPhone 7" launch.

Major partners in Apple's supply chain are said to be setting aside capacity for Apple's next-generation handset, according to sources who spoke with DigiTimes. Specifically, it was said that Cirrus Logic and Analog Devices are planning to devote a major chunk of their operations for Apple's so-called "iPhone 7."

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is also said to be gearing up to build most — or potentially all — of Apple's next-generation "A10" processor, widely assumed to power the new iPhone. TSMC is planning to begin volume production of 16-nanometer FinFET process chips in the second quarter of 2016, the report said.

DigiTimes has a mixed track record in predicting Apple's future product plans, but its supply chain sources have supplied advance information on key partnerships in the past. And given the fact that new iPhones have debuted in the fall for years, the timing makes sense.

The publication's latest report claimed that parts from Cirrus Logic and Analog Devices will play a significant role in allowing the "iPhone 7" to be even thinner than the current iPhone 6s design.

In particular, Analog Devices is reportedly the supplier of driver components for a rumored dual lens camera said to include optical image stabilization and zoom for superior pictures. Rumors have suggested the new dual-lens design may be limited to the larger "iPhone 7 Plus" variant.

Despite being thinner, the new iPhone is expected to ditch the camera bump found on the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6, returning to a flat back with new lens technology. Reports have also suggested Apple will ditch the prominent rear casing antenna lines that have been found on the last two generations of iPhone.

30 Comments

pmz 3429 comments · 15 Years

About 8 years ago

AppleInsider said:

highly anticipated "iPhone 7" launch.

At the risk of sounding like a troll....what is so "highly anticipated" about the iPhone 7? We've reached a point with the iPhone 6s where the phone is so good, that improving upon it in a meaningful way is...difficult. I've upgrade my phone every single year without fail, from iPhone 1 through iPhone 6s. I'm always taking delivery on launch weekend.

But, can any iPhone 6s owner really say that they are "highly anticipating" the iPhone 7?

thewhitefalcon 4444 comments · 10 Years

About 8 years ago

pmz said:

AppleInsider said:

highly anticipated "iPhone 7" launch.

At the risk of sounding like a troll....what is so "highly anticipated" about the iPhone 7? We've reached a point with the iPhone 6s where the phone is so good, that improving upon it in a meaningful way is...difficult. I've upgrade my phone every single year without fail, from iPhone 1 through iPhone 6s. I'm always taking delivery on launch weekend.

But, can any iPhone 6s owner really say that they are "highly anticipating" the iPhone 7?

Enlighten us, o great one, why the iPhone 7 will be a disappointment.

cnocbui 3612 comments · 17 Years

About 8 years ago

I can't wait to not have a 3.5mm socket. That's worth at least half the price right there. /s

pmz 3429 comments · 15 Years

About 8 years ago

thewhitefalcon said:

pmz said:

At the risk of sounding like a troll....what is so "highly anticipated" about the iPhone 7? We've reached a point with the iPhone 6s where the phone is so good, that improving upon it in a meaningful way is...difficult. I've upgrade my phone every single year without fail, from iPhone 1 through iPhone 6s. I'm always taking delivery on launch weekend.

But, can any iPhone 6s owner really say that they are "highly anticipating" the iPhone 7?

Enlighten us, o great one, why the iPhone 7 will be a disappointment.

How about you answer the question, of why it is "highly anticipated".

No where did I say it would be a disappointment.

williamh 1045 comments · 13 Years

About 8 years ago

pmz said:

thewhitefalcon said:

Enlighten us, o great one, why the iPhone 7 will be a disappointment.

How about you answer the question, of why it is "highly anticipated".

No where did I say it would be a disappointment.

I agree with you about the current phones, but I'll take a shot at answering the question. The iPhone 7 is highly anticipated because many people hope that Apple can make some more magic happen. I think it was Jobs who said he didn't like customer surveys because they didn't really know what they wanted. Before the car, if you asked people what they wanted, it was a faster horse. Well, people know Apple can turn things upside down, and they want to see it happen again even if they don't know what it would be. It's also highly anticipated because investors and analcysts want to see Apple return to a higher rate of growth. The iPhone 7 is not highly anticipated because there is something fundamentally wrong with the existing phones. I love my iPhone 6. Maybe a better battery, but otherwise I like everything pretty much as it is.