It seems that Allen Horng, CEO of Catcher Technology, a major supplier of Apple, unintentionally revealed a vital feature of the forthcoming iPhone 7, which was expected to be launched this fall. According to Horng, the next iPhone will debut in 2017 and one of the models will have an all-glass body.
Since Catcher Technology manufactured a part of the aluminum shells for the iPhone 6, it is believed that Horng may possibly have some inside information regarding Apple's plans for the iPhone 7 chassis. On Thursday, Horng told a meeting of his company's shareholders that as far as he is aware, only one iPhone model, which is scheduled for 2017 launch, will have a glass casing, Nikkei reported.
The report further quoted the Catcher Technology CEO saying, "I don't think this move will have an impact on Catcher's revenue as glass casing still needs a durable metal frame, which requires advanced processing technology and would not be cheaper than the current model."
Catcher Technology earns nearly a third of its revenue from Apple, and hence, the Cupertino tech titan is an important customer for the company. The iPhone 6 arrived in chassis supplied by Catcher, which eventually boosted its earnings, the report pointed out.
It is interesting to note that Horng's remarks correspond with a previous report from reputed Apple analyst Ming Chi-Kuo. In April, Ming released a research note hinting that Apple is working on a more glass oriented iPhone 7s design with a view to make a distinction in a smartphone market where most flagships essentially look and feel similar, reported Business Insider.
Some people may be quite concerned about glass adding additional weight to the iPhone 7s, but Kuo is of the view that at least one iPhone 7's model will feature an AMOLED display, thereby offsetting any possible increase in weight.
It is believed that one reason for Apple to introduce glass casings is because of pressure on the company CEO Tim Cook to augment iPhone sales by making the devices more distinctive, Jeff Pu, an analyst at Yuanta Investment Consulting, said. According to him, while Apple's decision would hurt Catcher, it will be a major boost to Biel Crystal Manufactory and Lens Technology.
Watch the video on iPhone 7 rumors and concepts below:
