April 28, 2024

iPhone X Supply Shortage Caused by Delay in Assembling 'Romeo' Modules [WSJ]

Posted September 27, 2017 at 2:43pm by iClarified · 9502 views
iPhone X supply shortages are being caused by a delay in assembling 'Romeo' modules for the smartphone's facial recognition system, reports the WSJ.

The new iPhone has two components that work together for facial recognition, referred to as 'Romeo' and 'Juliet' by engineers and suppliers. It's reportedly taken longer to assemble the Romeo modules than the Juliet modules, creating an imbalance in supply and a bottleneck for iPhone X mass production.

The Romeo and Juliet modules at the center of the latest delay are two critical parts of Apple’s facial-recognition system, which is based on 3-D sensor technology. The Romeo module features a dot projector that uses a laser to beam 30,000 infrared dots across the user’s face, essentially mapping its unique characteristics. The Juliet module includes the infrared camera that reads that pattern.

Sources say there aren't enough 'Romeo' modules to go with the number of 'Juliets' on hand; however, one sources says that the Romeo assembly process is now moving smoothly.

Apple is set to launch pre-orders for the iPhone X on October 27th. Please follow iClarified on Twitter, Facebook, or RSS for updates.

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