Technology - Google News

Apple display supplier could lose out on large iPhone 14 order after it was reportedly caught cutting corners - The Verge

Posted: 21 May 2022 02:38 PM PDT

Chinese display manufacturer Beijing Oriental Electronics (BOE) could lose out on 30 million display orders for the upcoming iPhone 14 after it reportedly altered the design of the iPhone 13's display to increase yield rate, or the production of non-defective products, according to a report from The Elec (via 9to5Mac).

Apple tasked BOE with making iPhone 13 displays last October, a short-lived deal that ended earlier this month when Apple reportedly caught BOE changing the circuit width of the iPhone 13's display's thin-film transistors without Apple's knowledge. (Did they really think Apple wouldn't notice?).

This decision could continue to haunt BOE, however, as Apple may take the company off the job of making the OLED display for the iPhone 14 as well. According to The Elec, BOE sent an executive to Apple's Cupertino headquarters to explain the incident and says it didn't receive an order to make iPhone 14 displays. Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 14 at an event this fall, but The Elec says production for its display could start as soon as next month.

In place of BOE, The Elec expects Apple to split the 30 million display order between LG Display and Samsung Display, its two primary display providers. Samsung will likely produce the 6.1 and 6.7-inch displays for the upcoming iPhone 14 Pro, while LG is set to make the 6.7-inch display for the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

According to MacRumors, BOE previously only manufactured screens for refurbished iPhones. Apple later hired the company to supply OLED displays for the new iPhone 12 in 2020, but its first batch of panels failed to pass Apple's rigorous quality control tests. Since the beginning of this year, BOE's output has also been affected by a display driver chip shortage.

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Asus and OSOM aren't wasting any time teasing their upcoming Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 phones - Android Police

Posted: 20 May 2022 03:51 PM PDT

Qualcomm unveiled the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 this morning, a souped-up version of the 8 Gen 1 chip launched late last year, now made by TSMC. With improvements to CPU and GPU performance — not to mention claims of up to 30% more power efficiency under certain conditions — it seems like the chip to get for late-2022 smartphones. It didn't take long for some OEMs to start teasing their upcoming phones, with Asus and OSOM both taking to social media today to announce their involvement with Qualcomm.

Asus kicked things off on Instagram, teasing the ROG Phone 6 with a photo of the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (via Mishaal Rahman). The wait for Qualcomm's latest chip explains why we haven't heard much from the company about a potential successor to one of 2021's best Android phones. Last year, the ROG Phone 5s — complete with a Snapdragon 888+ — hit retailers just a few months after the original model. Clearly, Asus has decided to abandon the upgraded model altogether, instead waiting for Qualcomm to launch a mid-gen chipset.

With this marking one of our earliest teases for the ROG Phone 6, it seems like we might not have to wait much longer to see it in action. Asus announced its ROG Phone 5 event weeks in advance last year, so don't expect the company to keep us in the dark on when this year's ultra-powerful gaming phone is ready to make a public debut.

It's not the only OEM teasing the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 today. OSOM has gradually been hinting at its upcoming phone for months now, built from the ground up by ex-Essential staff. Although we've gotten glimpses at its hardware and teases surrounding the software, we hadn't heard too much about its internal specs — until now. OSOM confirmed on Twitter that its debut device will use a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, teeing it up to be one of the most powerful options on the market when it arrives later this year. CEO Jason Keats told us in December that the device had slid from a planned MWC launch to summer 2022. That short delay could be a blessing for the start-up as it works to attract attention in an ever-stagnating field.