Apple is widely reported to have Samsung as its key supplier in building the iPhone Duo’s folding display. As a result, some have claimed that Apple is just “using a Samsung display.” Here’s how Apple addressed that question in a new interview.
Here’s what Apple said about Samsung’s contribution to iPhone Duo
Last month, YouTuber MrMobile (Michael Fisher) had the chance to interview a trio of key Apple staff who were involved in iPhone Duo’s development.
The sit-down took place following the iPhone Duo introduction, but the interview just went live on YouTube yesterday.
It’s a great video that’s well worth watching if you’re interested in the iPhone Duo. But one noteworthy portion involves the question of Samsung’s involvement in building the Duo’s display.
Here’s what Rich Dinh (VP of Hardware Engineering) and JP Guillou (Senior Director of Display Technology for iPhone) had to say:
Michael Fisher: What on the iPhone do is like straight out of the Samsung factory and what is Apple designed?
Rich Dinh: Everything that we design internally comes from the place of servicing the experience at the end of the day. And so whether it’s the display, whether it’s the hinge, whether it’s the enclosure, the chip, there are manufacturers that we work with, a number of them, incredible manufacturers that we work with. But at the end of the day, we start with, “What are we trying to accomplish?” And we start internally with, “What are we trying to accomplish in the design? What are some of the challenges we’re trying to solve for?” And then we work with our manufacturers to help us develop those parts.
Fisher then presents a contrast between the display and hinge, He suggests that Apple gets shipped a pallet of “display things” from Samsung to make the iPhone Duo, then says, “That doesn’t include the hinge, right? The hinge is not in that thing. You guys whip that up yourselves.” Here’s how Apple responds:
JP Guillou: Maybe I can say: the display doesn’t exist at the vendor until we start working on it.
Fisher: They don’t start working on it until you make an order with your specifications.
Dinh: Yeah, there’s not a, unfortunately [laughter] there’s not a pre-cooked shelf of components that we can go to.
Guillou: And certainly not ones that would meet our demands, expectations, requirements, specifications.
Fisher: Everything is a custom order for you guys.
Guillou: Everything is, everything is.
Dinh: We really did start from the ground up. Now, there’s partners that we work with out there that are incredible partners in helping us to manufacture these designs, but it always starts with, like, we customize down to the nanometer.
Other key topics addressed in the video include iPhone Duo’s durability, the choice to use an under-display camera on the folding screen, how Apple approaches product design, and more.
What are your takeaways from MrMobile’s interview? Let us know in the comments.
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