O'Grady's PowerPage

Tag: component

  • Noted analyst Ross Young corroborates iPhone 18 Pro model front display/Face ID leak

    Noted analyst Ross Young corroborates iPhone 18 Pro model front display/Face ID leak

    Apple’s upcoming iPhone 18 Pro may have some interesting changes coming this way, the rumored changes having been corroborated by veteran display analyst Ross Young.

    In a new post on X/Twitter, the now-retired analyst said that Chinese leaker Instant Digital’s latest explanation of how Apple will shrink the Dynamic Island is what he was alluding to in a report last year.

    Last June, Young stated that while some parts of Apple’s Face ID system would move under the display of the iPhone 18 Pro model handsets, the devices would still retain visible Face ID elements. As such, the Dynamic Island feature would persist, albeit in a smaller form than on the iPhone 14 Pro through iPhone 17 Pro.

    Young went on to explain in his post that only the IR flood illuminator component would move under the display to the top-left corner. Other components, such as the dot projector, infrared camera, and selfie camera, would remain housed in a reduced, centered Dynamic Island.

    Young’s corroboration directly contradicts a recent report by The Information’s Wayne Ma that said Apple would move the selfie camera to the top-left corner of the iPhone 18 Pro’s display, resulting in a hole-punch cutout and the removal of the pill-shaped Dynamic Island.

    Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro models in September.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors, @DSCCRoss, and The Information

  • Apple, Indonesia reach accord, Apple may begin selling iPhone 16 units in the country “very, very soon”

    Apple, Indonesia reach accord, Apple may begin selling iPhone 16 units in the country “very, very soon”

    If you live in Indonesia, the iPhone 16 will finally be coming your way at long last.

    According to an Indonesian government minister, the almost four-month-long ban on sales of the iPhone 16 may be lift “very, very soon.” The country banned sales of the iPhone 16 in October 2024 given a conflict regarding the country’s laws about locally sourced components, and also because Apple had fallen short of its investment commitments.

    Per Bloomberg, the months-long negotiations between Apple and Indonesia may soon come to a resolution. While no specific details of the deal have been released, investment Minister Rosan Roeslani said. “Hopefully within one or two weeks, this issue can be resolved.”

    The issues of sourcing components locally is complex, and while sources and the reported numbers vary, Indonesia reportedly requires firms to make between 35 percent and 40 percent of a device’s components in the country, to which the government has previously allowed exceptions. Apple has benefited from these exceptions and until 2024 had a deal whereby it invested in Indonesia in other ways. The company’s commitment was said to be around $110 million, and Apple apparently only invested approximately $95 million. Following the ban, Apple tried making a derisory offer of $10 million more, but Indonesia rejected that — and Apple’s next offer of $100 million. The country then also said that Apple’s offer of investing $1 billion, wasn’t enough either.

    Apple is said to have offered to build a factory in Indonesia, which would be manufacturing AirTags. Indonesian Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said that this couldn’t affect the iPhone 16 ban “because [the factory] has no direct relations [to iPhone components].” An unknown settlement was reached in which Apple and Indonesia sorted out the component quota, thereby allowing for the iPhone 16 to come to the country.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and Bloomberg

  • M4 MacBook Pro speakers can now be replaced individually

    M4 MacBook Pro speakers can now be replaced individually

    For the first time in almost a decade, you, a tech service provider, or Apple can now repair an individual speaker on the current MacBook Pro without having to replace other components as well.

    In a memo shared with Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers this week, Apple said it is offering speakers as standalone repair parts for the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips. This is the first time Apple has made individual MacBook Pro speaker parts available since 2015.

    In the case of all MacBook Pro models released between 2016, Apple had to replace the entire “top case” with the battery and other components for speaker repairs. This would results in speaker repairs costing hundreds of dollars more than they might if the speakers were a more modular part.

    Apple has already shared speaker repair manuals for the current-gen MacBook Pro notebooks on its website, so the repair is available to users as opposed to simply Genius Bar employees or Apple Authorized Service Providers.

    The repair procedure is fairly complex, involving the use of Kevlar thread, speaker installation caps, and a single-use battery cover, so the average customer will likely want to rely on an experienced technician to ensure it is done correctly. Finally, Apple is rumored to be giving technicians access to individual speaker parts for ALL 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with Apple silicon, going back to models with M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. It remains to be seen if those parts for older models will be added to the self-service repair store too.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors, support.apple.com, and Apple Self Service Repair Store

  • Rumor: Apple suspends contract with MacBook Air component supplier Kerson after high ball bearing defect rate noted

    Rumor: Apple suspends contract with MacBook Air component supplier Kerson after high ball bearing defect rate noted

    Apple is apparently irked at MacBook bearing supplier Kerson, has suspended its production for inspection purposes due to “quality issues,” and shifted orders to other suppliers through the end of the year.

    Per Taiwanese industry publication, the suspension came after Apple discovered a high defect rate with the supplier’s bearings for the month of August. The bearings are used in previous-generation MacBook Air models, rather than the latest models, according to the report.

    The units are not used in the current MacBook Air models, and the article offers the following explanation:

    “Industry insiders indicate that the defects were present from the beginning, but Apple only detected them during destructive testing later in the process. A subsequent full batch inspection revealed a high defect rate. Fortunately, none of the faulty products have reached the market. However, bearing defects typically take one to two years of use before becoming noticeable to consumers.”

    It is unknown exactly which component the report is referring to.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and DigiTimes

  • White House policy may push Apple to widen its self-repair program in the near future

    White House policy may push Apple to widen its self-repair program in the near future

    The White House on Tuesday stated that Apple is set to widen its support for hardware repair.

    The news comes courtesy of the US National Economic Council Director, Lael Brainard, in prepared remarks for a White House event on Tuesday night. Citing previous legislation in California and other states, the director said that “whether you are in California, Maine or Michigan, Apple will make the parts, tools, and documentation needed to repair your Apple products available to you at reasonable prices, as outlined in the California law.”

    It’s currently unknown what all of this implies, and while Apple’s current self-repair program already covers a significant slice of the existing product line, it’s not clear how far the expansion will go.

    At present, Apple’s current program features two aspects, with the first being geared towards independent repair shops and the second being towards self-repair.

    Apple first announced the Self Service Repair program in November 2021, surprising regular consumers, repair advocates, and the broader tech industry alike. The program actually launched on April 27, 2022.

    Through Apple’s repair portal, users can order parts for a number of iPhone models to carry out repairs such as battery swaps, speaker replacements, and display fixes. The portal also offers access to tool kits that can be rented or purchased for a specific period of time. Apple has also offered access to assorted repair manuals and technical documentation for use at home.

    Apple expanded parts and manual access to third-party repair shops in 2019. There were and are notable limitations on that expansion, however.

    Given the current restrictions, home-based businesses are not approved, and Apple can reject applications for any reason. Apple also requires that business documentation be provided upon application and reserves the right to inspect those documents at any time.

    Both programs are limited to full assembly swaps, like replacing an entire motherboard versus component-level repair. At present, it isn’t clear what Apple will charge for parts or the larger and more expensive equipment that Apple says is needed for repairs.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and Yahoo Finance