The supply chain shortfall impacts companies all across the globe, from smartphone components to baby formula, even those inside Apple’s walled garden. A recent claim from a Korean trade daily suggests that Apple is having some trouble getting a supplier for the front-facing camera of the iPhone 14, which has caused the company to go for a solution that is more costly than those it has used on previous phones.
According to Korea IT News, Apple has decided to use components manufactured by LG Innotek for its front-facing selfie camera rather than those manufactured by its customary partners, a Chinese firm that must remain nameless.
According to the information presented in the report, LG Innotek is in the process of getting ready for the “mass production of the iPhone 14 front camera.” LG Innotek may also take pride in being the first South Korean manufacturer to provide Apple with this specific component.
Apple had previously intended to collaborate with LG Innotek on the next generation iPhone 15, but those plans were scrapped. However, in order to meet the rapidly approaching deadline for the introduction of the iPhone 14, the business has altered gears to drive “the schedule forward hurriedly.”
According to Korea IT News, “it is understood that there had been quality problems from Chinese camera manufacturers during the quality tests,”
which has resulted in delays due to production issues. A similar setback has occurred for the Chinese display maker Beijing Oriental Electronics (BOE), which faces the possibility of losing its contract for the iPhone 14 as a result of reports that it altered the design of the display on the iPhone 13 to enhance its pace of production.
The change in suppliers will also affect the cost of the parts. When compared to earlier versions, the price of the front-facing secondary camera is generally one-third of the cost of the main rear-facing camera. However, the inclusion of functions such as focusing has caused the cost of the camera to increase by almost three times.
We are unable to predict at this time what percentage of that price increase will be passed on to customers.
Japan’s Sharp will continue to contribute to the production of the front-facing camera for the iPhone 14. However, it appears that it will be combined with the software and capabilities of LG Innotek hardware. Additionally noteworthy is the fact that LG Innotek manufactures the optical components of the camera internally as opposed to depending on external vendors.
Although the majority of the attention given to this topic has been focused on the manufacturing of parts in other countries and how those businesses are adjusting their operations to circumvent the current bottleneck in the supply chain, this is also a story about how businesses are attempting to keep up with rising consumer demand. But one has to question whether that desire would be so strong if it weren’t widely believed that Apple would release the new iPhone in the autumn, as the company has done for the last several years running.