O'Grady's PowerPage

Tag: Simplo

  • Rumor: Apple shifts iPad 2 battery orders from Simplo to Dynapack after leak-prone units discovered

    When in doubt, switch a component supplier.

    Per DigiTimes, part supplier sources maintained Wednesday that Apple had recently been pushed into switching battery supply for the iPad 2. Apple moved some of its orders from Simplo to Dynapack at the end of September after Simplo’s eastern China plant produced some leak-prone lithium-polymer packs according to the story. Apple’s use of safer lithium-polymer batteries kept them from showstopper fires, but the recharging problems were enough to require better.

    Normally, Simplo would supply about 60 percent of iPad 2 batteries with Dynapack providing the rest. That ratio would have shifted more towards neutral with a part swap.

    The issue hasn’t been independently confirmed. Both Dynapack and Simplo are widely known as Apple’s battery suppliers, and Simplo handles the batteries for the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. Companies like Apple are known to change orders for other components to keep supply up, such as a well known diversification away from LG for iPad 2 displays until it resolved display issues.

    A successful swap could minimize any disruption in Apple’s manufacturing, although it still comes just as Apple is likely seeing a peak in shipments as it goes into the holidays. As such, it might be more sensitive to unplanned switches.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

  • Rumor: Foxconn currently assembling 150,000 iPhone 5 units per day

    applelogo_silver

    The iPhone 5: it’s probably on the way.

    Per DigiTimes, Foxconn Electronics has ramped up production of Apple’s fifth-generation iPhone to 150,000 units per day, with shipments expected to reach 5-6 million in September.

    The report released on Thursday states that Apple’s iPhone 5 suppliers have geared up production and will soon begin volume shipments of the new device. Industry sources provided the publication with the 150,000 unit per day production figure for OEM Foxconn.

    Meanwhile, sources also said lens maker Largan Precision, touch panel maker TPK Holding, reinforced glass supplier G-Tech Optoelectronics and battery vendors Simplo and Dynapack “are all operating at full swing currently,” according to the report.

    iPhone 5 shipments are expected to be in the range of 5-6 million this month and top 22 million in the fourth quarter as Apple reduces shipments of the GSM and CDMA models of the iPhone 4.

    The report also echoed an earlier claim reportedly from a Chinese source that Pegatron has received orders to produce a 15 percent share of Apple’s new smartphone. However, DigiTimes’ sources said the company may not begin shipping until 2012.

    Apple is now believed to be planning to launch the iPhone 5 in October. Recent leaks from retailer Best Buy point to next month, though there is some disagreement about the specific timing of the release.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

  • Rumor: Apple to incorporate thinner, lighter battery design for iPad 3

    The iPad 3 might be a bit lighter than you expected.

    Per Taiwan Economic News, Apple is said to have chosen two suppliers to provide batteries that will be thinner and lighter, but also up to 30 percent more expensive, for its third-generation iPad.

    Simply Technology and Dynapack International Technology have both been tapped for the next-generation batteries, according to reports. Both companies are said to currently supply batteries for Apple’s iPad and MacBook lineup.

    The report said Apple’s third-generation iPad will be mass-produced in the first quarter of 2012. The device’s battery is said to have been redesigned to be thinner and lighter, and will reportedly offer a longer service life than the battery found in the iPad 2.

    “Furthermore, the new battery pack will also be required to meet CTIA IEE 1625 standard for better quality and safety reliability, a trend that has been commonly seen nowadays, especially in the U.S.,” the report said.

    The new thinner, lighter and safer battery will also reportedly come at a higher price for Apple, costing between 20 percent and 30 percent more than the battery currently found in the iPad 2.

    Both Simplo and Dynapack are rumored to begin providing batteries to Apple in the fourth quarter of calendar 2011. That would put the company on track to begin production of the so-called “iPad 3” soon after, and would also put Simplo and Dynapack in a position to earn record quarterly revenues.

    Last month it was said that Apple was already near the trial production phase for its third-generation iPad. The device is expected to have a high-resolution screen, similar to the Retina Display found on the iPhone 4.

    That retina display is expected to be provided by three major suppliers in order to meet growing demand for Apple’s iPad lineup. LG Display, Samsung Electronics and Sharp have all been rumored to be in the supply chain for Apple’s next iPad.

    Also in August, Apple was said to have e begun trial production of the proprietary A6 mobile processor that’s expected to power the next iPad 3 and, eventually, a sixth-generation iPhone. A previous report from the Taiwan Economic News named Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. as the new manufacturer of the chip, reportedly snagging a role formally filled by Samsung.

    The ARM-based A6 is said to incorporate TSMC’s 28-nanometer process and 3D stacking technology. The chipmaker’s “silicon interposer” and “bump on trace” methods are also said to be utilized in the next-generation chip, which is scheduled to be finalized in the first quarter of 2012.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

  • Rumor: Second-gen iPad to surface in early 2011, feature both front and rear cameras, SD card slot

    Component suppliers for Apple’s iPad are planning to begin a new round of iPad production in the first quarter of 2011, with one source saying that the next-generation iPad will have front- and back-mounted cameras, a new report claims.

    According to a Reuters report published on Friday, sources claim the next-gen iPad will sport dual cameras, and could begin production as early as the first quarter of 2011.

    The report further confirms the likelihood of a FaceTime-capable iPad. Additionally, on Thursday, new iPad cases were spotted with cutouts for a rear-facing camera and space for what could be an SD card slot.

    Reuters’ sources pegged touchscreen chip designer Wintek Corp, battery maker Simplo Technology and AVY Precision, “an unlisted maker of covers for electronic products,” as suppliers for the next batch of iPads.

    Camera component suppliers Genius Electronic Optical CO and Largan Precision Co were also reportedly starting new “supply deals” with Apple, though sources were unable to confirm for which products.

    The report lined up with what RBS analyst Steven Tseng has been hearing. “It makes sense for these suppliers to begin delivering their goods in February,” he said. “I think Steve Jobs will announce the new product in January, and we should see the new product hitting shops in about April.”

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.