Manufacturing problems are apparently continuing for the iPhone Fold, with the latest claims citing issues circuit boards assembly for the foldable.
As a flexible device with a hinge, the iPhone Fold was always going to be a challenging design for Apple. There have been repeated stories worrying about its construction and potential slips, with circuitry being blamed this time around.
According to a Tuesday post by serial Weibo leaker Fixed Focus Digital and citing supply chain sources, Apple apparently doesn't have manufacturing difficulties for the iPhone Fold.
However, the account then immediately says that there is a problem with getting the device into mass production. Specifically a circuity one involving SMT.
To the leaker, this has manifested in slow production for the model. The situation is described as "not optimistic."
What is SMT?
SMT refers to Surface Mount Technology, which is a technique for building a printed circuit board (PCB). Specifically, it deals with how components and the circuit board itself connect and interact.
In the olden days, manufacturers used Through-Hole Technology (THT), which used long wires from the components that poked through drilled holes in the PCB. Those wires would then be soldered on the opposite side of the board.
SMT does away with the hole-drilling element and instead attaches the component to the board using a solder paste on the PCB's copper pads. Once heated up, the paste melts and cools to create the soldered connection.
For manufacturers, SMT brings advantages such as enabling rapid automated pick-and-place machines. The technique also allows for more components to be used on a board, since both sides of the PCB can be used without worrying about wires coming from the other side.
Persistent problems
The latest claim comes after a previous report one week prior, when another Weibo leaker said that the hinge is failing after being repeatedly used. However, one day later, another Weibo account said that Apple's hinge was leading the way, and that a non-patented equivalent will be adopted by rival smartphone manufacturers.
Generally speaking, Weibo is frequently the source of Apple rumors, though they tend not to be very accurate. Due to the need to frequently post news for users to read, they often regurgitate rumors heard elsewhere, often with little to no fact-checking.
In the case of Fixed Focus Digital, they have a mixed track record on rumors. For example, they did get the name right for the iPhone 16e, but also said the model would fail.
