Apple is trying out a new assembly process for iPhone 13 camera modules - India Today

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Apple is likely to launch the new iPhone 13 series in about four weeks from now. Much of the details around the upcoming iPhones are already out and one of the biggest upgrades expected this year is a new camera module for the smartphones. It is now being reported that Apple is also employing an all-new production process with these cameras.

The change in the existing assembly process has been mentioned in a new report by The Elec. The report mentions that this time, Foxconn will be assembling the camera modules on the new iPhone 13 models.

The decision by Apple will mark a big switch in its prevalent production process for iPhones. Till now, Apple used to supply Foxconn with completed camera modules. Foxconn would then add these modules to their respective iPhone models during assembly.

For the iPhone 13 series, however, Apple is reportedly purchasing pre-assembled double and triple camera modules from its regular suppliers LG InnoTek and Sharp. The company will then send these to Foxconn for assembly with the iPhones. Apple is allegedly bringing in the new production process in order to save on manufacturing cost.

The report follows a recent deal bagged by Hyvision System for the camera module inspection equipment. It states that Hyvision System will be supplying the equipment to Foxconn going forward.

The deal was approved by Apple citing the aforementioned changes to its assembly process.

The inspection kits by Hyvision System will help with the perfect alignment of the wide, ultra-wide and telephoto cameras’ optical axis. As highlighted by the report, an incorrect axis of the sensors can result in “what the customer sees through the camera and the picture taken to be different.”

Other than the change in the assembly process for iPhone cameras, Apple is also expected to face a component shortage for the iPhone 13 this quarter. Though the challenge had been hinted at by Apple earlier, Foxconn’s Q3 forecast now reiterates the same.

Due to the expected component shortage, Foxconn is expecting a modest growth of 3-15 per cent in the ongoing quarter. In contrasts to this year, Q3 is usually a very busy time period for iPhone manufacturers in anticipation to the boosted sales in the fall with Apple’s annual iPhone launch.