Has the iPhone 6 been DELAYED? Last minute redesign puts September launch in jepoardy

A last minute redesign of a key component has left Apple's suppliers scrambling to get enough screens ready for the iPhone 6.

Reuters said supply chain sources said the need to redesign a key component disrupted panel production ahead of next month's expected launch.

The handset is expected to be unveiled on the 9th September, and come in 4.7inch and 5.5inch sizes.

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The images show a curved design with a larger 4.7inch screen

WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE IPHONE 6

The handset is expected to be unveiled on the 9th September, and come in 4.7inch and 5.5inch sizes.

It is thought the phone could boast a flexible and scratch-proof sapphire screen, which is about to go into large-scale production in the US.

The screen is tipped to be ‘Retina display+’ with a 1,704x904 resolution.

Experts also predict a faster A8 processor, better rear-facing camera – possibly with changeable lenses – and wireless charging support.

It may also include a heart rate sensor like the Samsung Galaxy S5.

It's unclear whether the hiccup could delay the launch or limit the number of phones initially available to consumers, the sources said, as Apple readies larger-screen iPhones for the year-end shopping season amid market share loss to cheaper rivals.

But the issue highlights the risks and challenges that suppliers face to meet Apple's tough specifications, and comes on the heels of a separate screen technology problem, since resolved, in making thinner screens for the larger iPhone 6 model.

Two supply chain sources said display panel production suffered a setback after the backlight that helps illuminate the screen had to be revised, putting screen assembly on hold for part of June and July.

One said Apple, aiming for the thinnest phone possible, initially wanted to cut back to a single layer of backlight film, instead of the standard two layers, for the 4.7-inch screen, which went into mass production ahead of the 5.5-inch version.

But the new configuration was not bright enough and the backlight was sent back to the drawing board to fit in the extra layer, costing precious time and temporarily idling some screen assembly operations, the source said.

 

Output is now back on track and suppliers are working flat-out to make up for lost time, the supply chain sources added.

Japan Display Inc, Sharp Corp and South Korea's LG Display Co have been selected to make the iPhone 6 screens, the sources said.

Representatives for those three suppliers, and for Apple, declined to comment.

The handset is expected to be unveiled on September 9th in San Francisco.

Apple is known to make tough demands on its parts suppliers for new iPhones and iPads as it competes to create designs, shapes, sizes and features to set it apart and command a premium price in a fiercely competitive gadget market.

This can cause glitches and delays, including screen problems that crimped supplies at last year's launch of a high-resolution version of Apple's iPad Mini.

It also highlights the danger for suppliers of depending too heavily on Apple for revenues, creating earnings volatility.

Earlier this month, Japan Display, said to be the lead supplier for the new iPhone panel, said orders for "a large customer" - which analysts said was Apple - arrived as expected, but shipments may be delayed in the July-September quarter.

Japan Display's reliance on Apple's cyclical business has spooked some investors. UBS Securities has forecast that Apple will contribute more than a third of the Japanese firm's total revenue in the year to March 2015.

Rumours about the Apple iPhone 6 abound

Japan Display's share price dropped to a 12-week low of 501 yen after first-quarter earnings on Aug. 7 lagged market expectations.

In Taiwan, home to several Apple suppliers and assemblers, export orders grew less than expected in July, even as factories rushed output ahead of new smartphone launches, reflecting the erratic nature of the business.

'Currently, there's a small shortage in supply of a specialized component for our communication devices,' said a spokesman for Pegatron (4938.TW), which assembles iPhones.

'This kind of problem regularly occurs and the impact on production is negligible.'

Supply chain sources had previously said challenges with the new iPhone's screen in-cell technology, which eliminates one of the layers in the LCD screen to make it thinner, caused a delay in the production of the larger 5.5-inch version. One display industry source said the in-cell issues had now been resolved.

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The new photo suggests that Apple’s Lightning cable is set to become even easier to use because it will be reversible at both ends. Sonny Dickson's image hints that Apple's next cable will have a reversible USB port (pictured right), with a floating centre instead of fixed pins (plug pictured left)

The iPhone 6 unveiling has been widely anticipated to bolster momentum for Apple shares, which have risen by a third, to above $100 each, since the company posted strong first-quarter earnings in late-April.

It comes as plans for a new reversible USB cable were announced last week.

But now it appears that Apple is going a step further, with rumours that its Lightning cable will be reversible at both ends.

New photos that have emerged of the cable show it has a 'floating' centre.

Apple tipsterSonny Dickson, based in Melbourne, Australia, has shared a photo that suggests the new Lightning Cable is completely reversible at both ends, so the frustration of jabbing at USB ports blindly to insert cables may be over.