Apple iPhone 11 News: Chassis Makers Vie For Orders Ahead Of Launch

More smartphone chassis makers are vying for orders from Apple this year in hopes of boosting their revenues by the time the Cupertino giant launches its 2018 lineup of iOS-running phones.

DigiTimes has learned from industry sources that three companies are joining the competition for smartphone chassis orders from Apple this 2018. The manufacturers who want to provide Apple with metal chassis for the rumored iPhone 11 and other iPhone models were identified to be Taiwan-based Casetek Holdings, Singapore-based Hi-P Electronics and China-based AAC Technologies.

It’s interesting to note that these three manufacturers have ongoing commitments to the Cupertino giant. Casetek is supplying Tim Cook’s company with MacBook’s chassis at present. The Taiwanese company is also responsible for volume and power buttons of the iPhones. But now Casetek wants to become a supplier of metal chassis for the 2018 iPhone models.

Hi-P also has an ongoing commitment to Apple. The Singaporean firm is supplying the iPhone X maker with plastic chassis for the latter’s entry-level smartphones. Industry sources indicated that Hi-P now yearns to produce metal chassis for Apple because it has seen orders for plastic chassis dwindling in the recent years. To show just how interested it is to be a metal chassis supplier, Hi-P has already sent in engineering samples for certification.

As for ACC, the company has been manufacturing touch control motors, acoustics components and plastic camera lenses for Apple. Following the very successful launch of the iPhone X, the Chinese company is now very keen on inking a deal that would allow it to provide metal chassis for Apple’s upcoming iPhones. As of late, AAC has also sent in some samples to the Cupertino giant.

As of late, Apple is relying on Chinese firms Foxconn and Pegatron for its main chassis assembly. The tech giant has also partnered with Taiwan’s Catcher Technology for some of the supply of hardened casings for the current iPhone lineup. It isn’t clear if Apple is currently looking to partner with more companies for the shells of its upcoming iPhones. But if it is, it won’t be surprising if the Cupertino giant chooses any of the aforesaid firms.

Apple is known for being dependent on other manufacturers for the parts and components of its products. The company’s list of suppliers stretches to more than 200 companies located in different parts of the world. For instance, most of the processors of its iPhones are made by Taiwanese company TSMC, while the displays of its 2017 smartphone models are made by Japanese firms Sharp and Japan Display, as well as South Korean giant Samsung.