DigiTimes: Apple to kick off mass production of 5G iPhones next month

Piggy-backing on its earlier report alleging that Apple might need to push back the launch of its first 5G-capable iPhone to October, Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes this morning said that mass production of the device will start in July.

According to the paywalled report, the next iPhone is currently undergoing the second phase of engineering validation and testing, a process used on prototypes to verify that the design meets pre-determined specifications and design goals.

Barring any last-minute hiccups, the Cupertino company’s contract manufacturers are expected to kick off the assembly process for the iPhone 12 lineup in July.

“Apple is expected to complete its second-phase engineering validation and testing (EVT 2) for its upcoming 5G iPhone series by the end of June, paving the way for volume production in July,” reads the report citing industry sources.

That’s a bit later than the usual iPhone production that kicks off in June ahead of official introductions in September. As mentioned, DigiTimes a few days ago said that the planned launch of the 2020 iPhone lineup “is likely to be in October instead of September.”

All new iPhones are expected to feature 5G connectivity, with lower-end models believed to support sub-6GHz technology and the higher-end models featuring support for both sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G. Respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said that Apple might launch the higher-end models later than usual due to antenna-in-package design changes.