The Taiwan-based news outlet DigiTimes has reported that Apple will rely on a large diversity of manufacturing partners for assembly of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus later this year.
While the 4.7-inch model will, this report says, be manufactured by Foxconn and Pegatron, production of the 5.5-inch variant will be in the hands of Foxconn and Wistron. Apple is said to have been assigning component orders to multiple suppliers to reduce risks; apparently, the company has at least two suppliers for such parts as casings, hinges and batteries.
Wistron is certainly a partner Apple can have faith in; it has been involved in production of not only the iPhone 5C, as DigiTimes notes, but also this year’s iPhone SE. Wistron is said to have already prepared sufficient capacity for iPhone 7 Plus orders.
Recent leaks from the reliable source of NowhereElse.fr editor Steve Hemmerstoffer suggest that, while the iPhone 7 Plus will come with a dual-lens camera and Smart Connector, the smaller iPhone 7 will have more conservative features. Both models, however, look set to lose the rear antenna lines and traditional 3.5mm headphone jack of the iPhone 6S series.
