Apple supplier accused of using unauthorized parts in iPhone 8 Plus

[DrMacintosh]

Quote

Chinese news site Commercial Times has claimed that iPhone supplier Wistron was caught using ‘unauthorized components’ in its production of the iPhone 8 Plus in China.

The report says that Apple ordered the company to halt production when the issue came to light, with assembly suspended for two weeks …

Quote

Wistron maintained in a filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange March 15 that the company will not comment on matters concerning specific clients and there was not a “two-week production suspension as reported and operations remain completely normal.”

Of course they won't comment if they are guilty ?

Quote

The issue reportedly concerns the use of waterproof components not certified by Apple, which could mean gaskets used to keep out water and dust.

 

Thankfully this is not too big of an issue. Apparently it's limited to the water resistant components of the iPhone 8 Plus and is not something major like the display or an electronic component. That being said, if these "fake" parts are found to compromise the IP rating of the iPhone in any way, I would fully expect and hope that Apple would offer a trade in program to get affected units swapped out for new phones. If not there could be a big problem on Apples hands. 

 

Breaches in a supply chain are very serious and something like this can be disastrous for a company in the short term. Thankfully Apple discovered this, I am assuming relatively quickly, and coupled with relatively low iPhone 8 Plus sales compared to the iPhone 7 Plus and X this year, means not too many people should have been effected. 

 

I'm personally eyeing an 8 Plus to upgrade from my 6s Plus, but who knows, might upgrade my GPU instead  

 

Source: https://9to5mac.com/2018/03/15/wistron-unauthorized-components-denial/ 

[Canada EH]

Interesting article

 

Or Apple can just claim whatever they want and make you work for your warranty.

 

They were cutting corners to save money and earn more profit.

 

[vanished]

Luckily they got this in time... imagine if people started discovering certain phones randomly weren't as waterproof as they thought

[ProjectBox153]

12 minutes ago, VegetableStu said:

"Hey Apple, I'd like a #refund"

"-- Sorry to hear. What troubles are you having with your iPhone?"

"I wash that phone like the many others I own and they all look as shiny and clean like day 0 and yet this one decides to be thirsty and drank itself to death"

Are you saying it got drunk? If so, you should have your iPhone checked out. Being drunk is not good for electronic devices, and isn’t covered by your warranty. 

[Drak3]

Remember that article about potential for pushing malware via device components.

 

How a certain someone said that nothing bad could happen because those components wouldn't be used in production, because getting them into the supply chain wouldn't happen?

 

That certain someone should be thankful to every concieved god, and a few unconcieved, that this time, it wasn't a component that has firmware.

As far as we know.

[vanished]

4 minutes ago, Drak3 said:

Remember that article about potential for pushing malware via device components.

 

How a certain someone said that nothing bad could happen because those components wouldn't be used in production, because getting them into the supply chain wouldn't happen?

 

That certain someone should be thankful to every concieved god, and a few unconcieved, that this time, it wasn't a component that has firmware.

As far as we know.

I think the water seal on iphones do have firmware actually, how else did they manage to add the feature with a software update?

/s

[Drak3]

Just now, Ryan_Vickers said:

think the water seal on iphones do have firmware actually, how else did they manage to add the feature with a software update?

Actually, with the introduction of the 3G, all iPhones have stargate technology that updates the internals with every software update.

 

Every.

 

Single.

 

One.

 

Including app updates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Except that one shady flashlight app you have that makes up 97% of the app store.

[Zodiark1593]

1 hour ago, Jamiec1130 said:

Are you saying it got drunk? If so, you should have your iPhone checked out. Being drunk is not good for electronic devices, and isn’t covered by your warranty. 

While liquids are specifically excluded, does the warranty cover plasma damage?

[Drak3]

2 minutes ago, Zodiark1593 said:

While liquids are specifically excluded, does the warranty cover plasma damage?

No, but it does cover acts of Dwayne The Rock Johnson.

[D13H4RD]

Well, at least it's not a major hardware component. 

 

Still sucks though. This is Apple we're talking about. 

[vanished]

1 hour ago, Drak3 said:

No, but it does cover acts of Dwayne The Rock Johnson.

Does your definition of "rock" extend to balls of steel?

 

[Canada EH]

Imagine the counterfeit parts in medical equipment and airplanes.

[AlTech]

1 hour ago, Canada EH said:

Imagine the counterfeit parts in medical equipment and airplanes.

Counterfeit parts have been found on Air Force One and on many other planes.

[D13H4RD]

38 minutes ago, AluminiumTech said:

Counterfeit parts have been found on Air Force One and on many other planes.

And it took the crash of Partnair Flight 394 to really expose this issue of counterfeit parts on airplanes.

 

Heck, even the FAA's own parts bin had fakes at the time.

[Valentyn]

8 hours ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

I think the water seal on iphones do have firmware actually, how else did they manage to add the feature with a software update?

 

Oh god! Reminds me of that whole spiel if Microwave your phone to rapidly charge it!
 

 

[MrDynamicMan]

46 minutes ago, Valentyn said:

Oh god! Reminds me of that whole spiel if Microwave your phone to rapidly charge it!
 

 

I was kinda hoping it would just explode instead of editing it to look like it charges, oh well.

[Valentyn]

2 minutes ago, MrDynamicMan said:

I was kinda hoping it would just explode instead of editing it to look like it charges, oh well.

People are bloody stupid.

 

 

 

 

This happens

 

 

[MrDynamicMan]

1 minute ago, Valentyn said:

People are bloody stupid.

==snip==

holy crap, I fucking love this. Darwin awards.

[orbitalbuzzsaw]

Apple and partners ripping you off as usual

[Valentyn]

27 minutes ago, orbitalbuzzsaw said:

Apple and partners ripping you off as usual

Apple's own audits found this; they're being ripped off here also; and their brand being damaged as a result. Why would they want this?

 

Apple pays Wistron say $5 for certified and tested water-proof components. Wistron then cheaps out and uses $3.50 components. That doesn't benefit Apple at all. They get ripped off; and get sub-standard parts that aren't up to spec.

[asus killer]

this proves that like everything else on their page, this is BS as well:  

 

Mapping materials from final assembly back to the source.

Few companies map the path of materials in their products as far back as the smelter. Apple maps many materials, including conflict minerals, back to the smelter and goes even further with others — tracking some, like cobalt, all the way back to the source.

https://www.apple.com/supplier-responsibility/

[Thelostworld]

Interesting. Do they install that on all iPhone 8 or just the batch used in China? Hope it's the latter. 

[Valentyn]

27 minutes ago, asus killer said:

this proves that like everything else on their page, this is BS as well:  

 

Mapping materials from final assembly back to the source.

Few companies map the path of materials in their products as far back as the smelter. Apple maps many materials, including conflict minerals, back to the smelter and goes even further with others — tracking some, like cobalt, all the way back to the source.

https://www.apple.com/supplier-responsibility/

Apple does though; as for many of their raw materials they buy more and more directly from the sources. Which means they can Map it.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-21/apple-is-said-to-negotiate-buying-cobalt-direct-from-miners

Apple also runs Audits for child labour, and these subpar parts. Does the other computer manufacturers though?

[asus killer]

Just now, Valentyn said:

Apple does though; as for many of their raw materials they buy more and more directly from the sources. Which means they can Map it.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-21/apple-is-said-to-negotiate-buying-cobalt-direct-from-miners

Apple also runs Audits for child labour, and these subpar parts. Does the other computer manufacturers though?

if they mapped "materials from final assembly back to the source" this would simply not be possible, if it occurred they straight up lied. 

I will just ignore the last sentence.

[Valentyn]

16 minutes ago, asus killer said:

if they mapped "materials from final assembly back to the source" this would simply not be possible, if it occurred they straight up lied. 

I will just ignore the last sentence.

It's always possible, in all industries. That's why audits are done, to ensure their partners uphold their part. If not steps are taken.