Updated December 11: Article published December 9.
Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will offer a similar design to previous models, but new leaks reveal just how hard Apple is trying to maintain production while updating the technology.
Apple continues to work to diversify its supply chain. Given the sales volume of the iOS smartphone, this is not a simple task, but it is imperative for Tim Cook and his team not to have a single supplier of components for the iPhone. Part of this is ensuring that no vendor has significant influence over Apple’s negotiations; Another component is the resilience of construction in the production process.
Update: Sunday, December 10. In the Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman notes that Tang Tan, Apple’s head of product design for the iPhone and Apple Watch, will be leaving the company. Tan has been involved in the design procedure of each and every iPhone. Its release might not affect the design of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro; Much of the design procedure is over: even if you want to make decisions, the designs (and potentially the prototypes) will already be available.
What it means to look further ahead is more. Product design plays a role in technical decisions about what will be in the new hardware, what parts will be used, and how the iPhone will look and feel.
Tan will take with him significant historical knowledge and expertise. Notably, Apple has not selected a one-to-one replacement for Tan; instead it is sharing out duties across several deputies in each hardware department.
Update: Monday, December 11: Another decision has been made related to the iPhone 16 hardware and may simply conflict with the software needs of the upcoming iOS smartphone. According to the team at Mizuho Securities, the iPhone 16 won’t get a memory upgrade; The next entry-level iPhone will have 6GB of RAM.
While the iPhone is inexpensive in terms of memory usage (one of the advantages of iOS only having Apple Silicon and Apple hardware is the power it can bring to the software level), there will be disruptions due to the increased scope of AI and the device. learning. The arrival of iOS 18 will be an opportunity for Apple to catch up with the full acceptance of AI-based smartphones by the Android ecosystem.
AI and ML will need as much RAM as possible. If Apple leaves the base model with 6GB, it will be an attractive experiment. If Apple decides to increase the memory on the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max, it will create more separation. among the features of the iPhones Pro and Vanilla.
The Apple in Istanbul, Turkey (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images).
New reports from the chain of sources have highlighted Apple’s recent moves to diversify the source of batteries for the next high-end iPhones, only between brands but also between countries. Apple has signaled to suppliers its preference for batteries made in India.
Writing for the Financial Times, Qianer Liu and John Reed note that two key suppliers, China’s Desay and Taiwan’s Simlo Technology, “have been asked to ramp up production in India for long-term orders, three other people said. familiar with the matter. “
The move is one of many reflecting rising industrial tensions between the U. S. and China. Moving some of the supply from a portion of generation that is critical to the industry is an obvious move, especially considering Apple’s work on the iPhone’s battery.
Recent reports imply that Apple has incorporated its battery design internally, in the same way that it has internally incorporated its silicon design, which has led to a more effective coupling of hardware and software with Apple Silicon. iPhone 16 Pro details reveal a new battery design that employs a frosted steel casing compared to the aluminum cases used before. This will make it less difficult to control the temperature of the iPhone, as the battery is one of the biggest sources of heat when the iPhone is in use.
With the purported A18 Pro chipset set to offer more functionality for the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max, Apple will want to balance the chipset’s functionality with the dwell the user expects, two spaces where Apple’s new fabrics and designs can come in. useful. before.
Now Apple’s latest news on the iPhone, Mac, and Christmas tree in Forbes’ weekly roundup. . .