You’ve probably never seen a QR code printed on your iPhone’s screen because it’s so microscopic that most people have no idea a QR code is there. New report from the information Details how Apple has put microscopic codes on the iPhone since 2020 to help the company control production costs and “save hundreds of millions of dollars.”
Your iPhone has a QR code hidden at the bottom of the screen
There are a lot of QR codes printed on the internal components of the iPhone, and you can easily see them if you open your iPhone (which of course we don’t recommend). These codes help Apple figure out more details about the origin of these components – but surprisingly, even the iPhone screen has a hidden barcode.
According to the report, barcodes are engraved on the iPhone’s glass at different stages of manufacturing. the information It is noteworthy that the company developed this system in 2020, and it helps Apple “track and reduce defects” in its production line. These symbols are described as being “the size of a grain of sand” and, unsurprisingly, can only be seen using special equipment.
But how exactly do barcodes help Apple? In short, the codes allow the company to track how many cover glass units its Chinese suppliers, Lens Technology and Biel Crystal, make, and how many defective units they discard during the manufacturing process.
“Lens and Biel have previously stymied Apple’s efforts to learn the true rate of defects, which could drive up production costs. Apple has paid millions of dollars to install laser and scanning equipment at Lens and Biel factories to add microscopic QR code and glass scanning,” the report says. The cover is at the end of the production process.
Implementing the code was difficult
On some iPhone models, like the iPhone 12, there’s a QR code just above the front speaker. Newer iPhone models have this symbol laser-etched on the black bezel at the bottom edge of the screen.
The report explains that developing this type of barcode was very difficult for Apple. The first units were laser etched into the glass, but this eventually weakened the screen. In drop tests, cracks in the glass almost always came from where the QR code was placed. Engineers had to invent new techniques using microscopic lenses with ring lights.
The result turned out to be positive. Since introducing these codes, Apple suppliers have reduced the number of discarded cover glass units to 1 in 10. Previously, 3 out of every 10 items were discarded. As a result, Apple saves hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
More details about implementing hidden QR codes in Apple products It can be found in the full articleIt is worth reading.
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