Foxconn, Apple Discuss iPhone X Production Woes

As Apple’s iPhone X continues to battle production issues, Terry Gou, the chairman of Foxconn Technology Group, and Apple Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams plan to meet later this month in Taiwan.

According to news from The Nikkei Asian Review, the meeting will take place when Williams visits Taiwan later this month for the 30th anniversary of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the sole core processor supplier for the iPhone line this year.

Earlier this month, it was revealed that manufacturers are having a tough time with the dot projectors in the TrueDepth camera system on the iPhone X, which is part of Apple’s new facial recognition technology that enables users to unlock phones and pay digitally. In late September, DigiTimes reported that Apple told some of its component suppliers to hold back on shipping at least some of the parts used in the iPhone X. The website said it had gotten this information through sources from “Taiwan-based upstream component suppliers.”

Sources said that Gou visited facilities to help resolve issues related to the 3D sensor module, and while the yield rate has improved gradually, one tech industry executive said it still has not reached a satisfactory level.

“The temperature may be down a bit, but the fever persists,” the executive said.

Terry Gou added that the yield rate for the 3D sensor modules will not reach a level that will allow suppliers to manufacture the iPhone X at full capacity by the end of October.

Foxconn is the sole assembler for the iPhone X, while Foxconn-controlled Sharp Corporation and South Korea’s LG Innotek, a material and component manufacturing unit of LG Electronics, are responsible for assembling the 3D sensors.