Apple is back at it again with quality control, but this time, it is a hidden QR code on the iPhone's screen that it engraves during production, something the company can only see. This is a form of Apple's quality control and knows what was done by its Chinese suppliers, Lens Technology and Biel Crystal, and what was lost along the way.
The QR codes on the iPhone screens are invisible to the naked eye, and you cannot see it, but with Apple's special equipment, they can scan it for quality and more.
Apple Added QR Codes to iPhone Screens in 2020
The Information reported that Apple has been adding microscopic QR codes to the iPhone's screen since 2020, and these are so small, that Cupertino uses special equipment to scan it when needed. This latest discovery claimed that these QRs have long been printed along with the iPhone's screens, and it has been sitting there, unknown to many since the iPhone 12, or even earlier.
While the iPhone 12 was the one released in October 2020, Apple's iPhone 11 production continued throughout the year, and it was also available afterward.
Lens Technology and Biel Crystal is the renowned Chinese supplier for Apple, and they engrave these special bar codes on the different glasses that make up the iPhone screen, comparable to the size of a grain of sand. Together, they make up a QR code that Apple can track.
You Cannot See It, But What are the QRs Used For?
While users cannot see it and possibly, have a hard time finding it and scanning it, Apple's purpose for this is to "save hundreds of millions of dollars" on its production. Through this, Apple can track which made it to the units and what was discarded or thrown out along the way.
Being that the production is in China, Apple needed a way to verify and ensure the production's efficiency, as part of its cost-cutting measures for the manufacturing process.
Apple's Development of the iPhones
The Apple development of the iPhone series has drastically changed over the years, as first it sourced everything from California and the US, now, seeing only its design in the country. It has sourced various parts from different countries, mainly in China, with the production also seen in the East Asian country, but has recently begun its gradual shift to India.
In various processes in production, Apple adds different QR codes to ensure that they can verify the legitimacy of the components and for its quality control. However, it is not only the iPhone components that see these special codes printed or embedded in them, as the company also added hidden ones around the iPhone 15's box when shipped.
Since Apple's production of the iPhones and other devices is mainly designated to partner companies from all over the world, the company has added various marks that will help them understand the process and control it. The iPhone's hidden QR codes that are invisible to the naked eye are the latest to be discovered, but it was around since 2020 to ensure that no waste is done in the process.
