New 'iPhone 8' 3D Touch tech rumored to be more expensive than Apple expected

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in iPhone
Apple's alleged supplier for the 3D Touch implementation for the OLED "iPhone 8" has hiked its price, and is reportedly charging more than double for the assembly in the new phone, versus what it charges for the iPhone 7.




According to a new report from the Economic Daily News, TPK Holdings is charging between $18 and $22 for the technology for 3D Touch. For comparison, supply chain reports believe that the same company currently charges between $7 and $9 per iPhone.

Implementing the technology in an OLED screen requires a different manufacturing process. It is believed that the 3D Touch sensors are embedded between two glass panels that sandwich the screen and the sensor film. On a conventional TFT screen, the sensors are bonded directly to the display panel, not requiring embedding in a glass sandwich.

As implemented in the iPhone 7 and earlier, 3D Touch employs an array of capacitive sensors integrated with an iPhone display's backlight. The system measures the distance between iPhone's flexible cover glass and the sensor array many times per second, then translates the results into force data, with location data being passed by the regular touch sensing technology.

Film sensors such as those needed for an OLED display operate under the same working principles, but offer more accurate deflection readings in a design that takes up much less internal space. In theory, it could also allow for multiple locations to sense different pressures simultaneously.

In January, it was thought that the more involved lamination process would increase costs between 10 and 20 percent.

The "iPhone 8" is predicted to sport an edge-to-edge OLED panel with a 5.1-inch user space -- the rest dedicated to virtual buttons. Slimming or removing the bezels would allow Apple to cram a larger battery into a form factor similar in size to the 4.7-inch iPhone 7. Also expected is a new 3D facial scanner .

With a complete redesign, plus the inclusion of a 2.5D curved glass back with wireless charging, some reports have pegged the starting price of the "iPhone 8" at more than $1,000.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 27
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,382member
    What's up with the iPhone 8 fear-mongering headlines almost every single day? How fucking tiresome.
    lkruppthinkman@chartermi.netrandominternetpersonpscooter63Metriacanthosaurusequality72521edredRayz2016zroger73longpath
  • Reply 2 of 27
    originalgoriginalg Posts: 383member
    Really? Apple didn't sign a multi-year agreement?
    Rayz2016
  • Reply 3 of 27
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    slurpy said:
    What's up with the iPhone 8 fear-mongering headlines almost every single day? How fucking tiresome.
    I wish readers had legal recourse when all these rumors turn out to be lies. But I guess part of freedom of speech is we have to suffer through complete bullshit.
    thinkman@chartermi.netRayz2016longpathcaliwatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 27
    applesauce007applesauce007 Posts: 1,698member
    Oh well, so we an extra 20 to 30 bucks more for an iPhone... Life goes on.
    thinkman@chartermi.netequality72521zroger73watto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 27
    Looking forward to this $1500 phone.
    brucemc
  • Reply 6 of 27
    mwhitemwhite Posts: 287member
    Looking forward to this $1500 phone.
    Are you crazy by the time it ships with all this Bull Shit they keep talking about it will cost $2000
    edited May 2017 watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 27
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,179member

    "For 3D Touch solution used in existing iPhone series, TPK and fellow maker General Interface Solution (GIS) quote US$7-9 per smartphone. The solution directly bonds 3D Touch sensors on LTPS TFT-LCD display panels of the iPhone, but 3D Touch solution for OLED panels entails bonding of a glass cover on the front and back side of an OLED panel each to reinforce the fragile OLED panel.

    Due to the additional bonding of glass covers, overall processing cost for OLED-based 3D Touch solution is about 50% higher than that for the LCD-based one but the quotes for the client is about 150% higher. Therefore, TPK and GIS are expected to significantly benefit from Apple's orders for OLED-based 3D Touch solution.

    TPK has passed certification for OLED-based 3D Touch solution and expects to obtain significant orders."

    Which is not the same as saying TPK has the entire order. 

  • Reply 8 of 27
    spice-boyspice-boy Posts: 1,450member
    lkrupp said:
    slurpy said:
    What's up with the iPhone 8 fear-mongering headlines almost every single day? How fucking tiresome.
    I wish readers had legal recourse when all these rumors turn out to be lies. But I guess part of freedom of speech is we have to suffer through complete bullshit.
    Freedom of speech was only a burden when we didn't have it. Learn your history. 
    netmagelongpath
  • Reply 9 of 27
    lkrupp said:
    slurpy said:
    What's up with the iPhone 8 fear-mongering headlines almost every single day? How fucking tiresome.
    I wish readers had legal recourse when all these rumors turn out to be lies. But I guess part of freedom of speech is we have to suffer through complete bullshit.
    It'd be nice if media outlets were obligated to provide the source on whatever they publish. AI would probably be exempt being a blog/forum primarily but it would clean up the news sites considerably.
  • Reply 10 of 27
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member
    I must have missed the rumor when it first came out. What is this "2.5D curved glass back"? What does that even mean?
  • Reply 11 of 27
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,801member
    Another day...another baseless rumor...

    Why don't we just wait until the god damn thing is released and then we'll know for sure of every detail? 
    equality72521longpathcali
  • Reply 12 of 27
    rotateleftbyterotateleftbyte Posts: 1,630member
    Looking forward to this $1500 phone.
    Don't forget the $150,000 one with diamond coating :wink:

  • Reply 13 of 27
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,275member
    originalg said:
    Really? Apple didn't sign a multi-year agreement?
    Different phone, different process and part.
    netmage
  • Reply 14 of 27
    2old4fun2old4fun Posts: 239member
    Marketing inventing a word to describe something that makes it different. It isn't 2D (flat) and it isn't 3D - but it is curved, thus different and special.
  • Reply 15 of 27
    ericthehalfbeeericthehalfbee Posts: 4,485member
    Meh. A trivial issue if true. This implies they have the ability to make the panels but they will cost more. Completely different from having issues actually trying to make the panels.

    So Apple could ship the next iPhone on time, but might have slightly lower margins. I think they'd rather ship on time with some new technology that wows the world, then worry about 1-2 points on their margins for the initial devices.
    netmagewatto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 27
    haarhaar Posts: 563member
    Oh well, so we an extra 20 to 30 bucks more for an iPhone... Life goes on.

    That is the funniest thing i have read regarding Apple, in a long time!...

    apple makes so much "margin" on iphones, why not just eat the cost?...
  • Reply 17 of 27
    haar said:
    Oh well, so we an extra 20 to 30 bucks more for an iPhone... Life goes on.

    That is the funniest thing i have read regarding Apple, in a long time!...

    apple makes so much "margin" on iphones, why not just eat the cost?...

    Because that hasn't traditionally be Apple MO.  I do think they will be careful about crossing that $1000 price barrier (at least for the price of the base configuration of each model).
  • Reply 18 of 27
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    mwhite said:
    Looking forward to this $1500 phone.
    Are you crazy by the time it ships with all this Bull Shit they keep talking about it will cost $2000
    Obviously, the actual cost will be $5,000.
  • Reply 19 of 27
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,801member
    Well I also heard from an unnamed reliable source that it was only gonna have a 2MP camera on it now...
  • Reply 20 of 27
    adm1 said:
    lkrupp said:
    slurpy said:
    What's up with the iPhone 8 fear-mongering headlines almost every single day? How fucking tiresome.
    I wish readers had legal recourse when all these rumors turn out to be lies. But I guess part of freedom of speech is we have to suffer through complete bullshit.
    It'd be nice if media outlets were obligated to provide the source on whatever they publish. AI would probably be exempt being a blog/forum primarily but it would clean up the news sites considerably.
    Except, it has become a joke, because "blog/forum" pretends to have none of the responsibility of "news", but they publish news. And when it turns out to be fake, they pretend to have to no responsibility.
    adamc
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