Remember the last interview with Jon Ive on the design of iPhone 4? He said:
“[At Apple] we experiment with and explore materials, processing them, learning about the inherent properties of the material–and the process of transforming it from raw material to finished product; for example, understanding exactly how the processes of machining it or grinding it affect it. That understanding, that preoccupation with the materials and processes, is [very] essential to the way we work.”
and regarding tolerances:
…The goals have been well-met, and on the subject of phenomenal tolerances, when you see the phone be sure to check out the insanely thin reveal around the hatch for the Micro SIM card on the side; I’ve never seen that kind of tolerance on something I could actually afford to buy. Upon seeing it my first thought was I will never pop that open, because I’m convinced it will never close again. “I assure you, it will,” Ive laughs. “The amount of care that went into that SIM tray is extraordinary. To achieve this kind of build quality is extraordinarily hard work and requires care across so many teams. It demands incredibly close collaboration with experts in certain areas, material sciences and so on.”
But it seems that the reproducability of the Apple standards/tolerances were a little too much for their Chinese vendor for iPhone glass panels, Lens technology. According to Chinese newspaper 21st Century Business Herald, Lens Technology is not able to meet the exact specifications of applying the white paint on the glass. The problem is that if the paint layer is too thin, then it will expose the stuuf behind, and if the paint layer is too thick, it’ll interfere with the touchscreen sensitivity. The article says that most of the employees are novices to these stringent standards and multiple procedures, and hence cannot produce the desired result.
Since Apple has announced an ‘end of July’ delivery date for white iPhones, this might mean that they have sorted out the issue. But still, a good lesson for designers while specifying tight specs (or those designing with Unobtainium) for their product : know your vendor’s capabilities if you want a smooth product launch.
Via Engadget
Manu T
