Apple iPhones feature hidden microscopic codes on their displays, undetectable to the naked eye. These minuscule codes serve a strategic purpose: apparently, they play a pivotal component in Apple’s cost-saving strategy.
According to The Information report, Apple is saving lots of money on its iPhones by etching two tiny QR codes into its glass. One of these codes is smaller than a grain of sand while the other is about the size of a crayon tip and is laser-printed on the underside of the glass along its black border or bezel.
As per the report, these codes are strategically positioned at different stages of production. These codes help company serve as an effective tool for tracking and managing defects during the manufacturing process, allowing Apple to identify and rectify any potential issues.
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These codes are so small that they are barely visible to the naked eye, but they can be scanned by Apple’s robots to track the phone throughout the manufacturing process. Reportedly, Apple adopted this system in 2020.
How do these codes help Apple? These codes let the company track how many glass cover units its Chinese suppliers, Lens Technology and Biel Crystal, are making and help detect how many defective units they’re throwing away during the manufacturing process.
“Lens and Biel have previously stymied Apple’s efforts to learn the true rate of defects, which can raise its production costs. Apple has paid millions of dollars to install laser and scanning equipment at Lens and Biel factories to both add the microscopic QR code and scan the cover glass at the end of the production process,” says the report.
The report states that these codes on placed just above the front speaker on certain iPhone models, like the iPhone 12. In contrast, more recent iPhone models, like the iPhone 15, feature this code engraved onto the black frame located at the bottom edge of the screen.
According to the report, Apple faced challenges when developing these barcodes. Initially, they tried laser-etching the code onto the glass, but this approach weakened the screen significantly. In durability tests, the glass typically developed cracks in the area where the QR code was etched. To overcome this issue, Apple’s engineers had to devise innovative techniques, involving microscopic lenses and ring lights.
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