A report from DigiTimes claims that Apple has placed an order for stainless steel casings for the iPhone 8. The order was placed to Apple's manufacturing partner Jabil.
Stainless steel casings for the iPhone. The last time Apple used stainless steel for the iPhone was for the iPhone 4. Apple has since been using lightweight and durable aluminum starting with the iPhone. However, since the issue the iPhone 6 bending under pressure, Apple has switched to a stronger type of aluminum alloy, the 7000 series.
A DigiTimes report claims that the stainless steel casings will be used for the chassis of Apple's next-generation iPhone.The stainless steel casings will be forged instead of billet milled which is expected to provide superlative structural rigidity.
The process of forging stainless steel is expected to be 30 percent to 50 percent cheaper than the usual unibody CNC machine process. In addition, quality control is much more stable.
According to the report, the iPhone 8 is "expected to abandon its conventional aluminum back cover design and will adopt a new design using to reinforced glass panes and a metal frame in the middle. The metal blaze will be made of stainless steel using a forging process to enhance its sturdiness and reduce costs and manufacturing time."
Apple's Jony Ive has long wanted to introduce an iPhone whose design looks like a single sheet of glass. If a curved edge-to-edge touchscreen display does happen, it is more likely that the home button and TouchID fingerprint sensor will be embedded in.
A noted analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, revealed that plans from Apple for an all-glass back for the iPhone last April. Since then predictions have included an OLED display and wireless charging.
Details of the iPhone 8 remains sketchy and no official word have been released by Apple. It is only safe to stand by and wait for official updates.
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