A couple of weeks ago, a report claimed that the next iPhone may feature a fingerprint sensor embedded in the display. A few days ago, new images also showed off an alleged curved edge-to-edge panel for the iPhone 8. Now, the CEO of Wistron, a Taiwanese smartphone manufacturing company which assembles the iPhone, has confirmed that the next generation of iPhones will indeed have wireless charging and will be waterproof, contrary to previous reports.
Wistron is Apple's primary iPhone manufacturer, which also produces phones for some Chinese and Indian companies, as well as some local brands. At the company's annual shareholders' meeting on Wednesday, CEO Robert Hwang confirmed the news to reporters, saying that:
Assembly process for the previous generations of [iPhones] have not changed much, though new features like waterproof and wireless charging now require some different testing, and waterproof function will alter the assembly process a bit.
Hwang also commented on the company's goals for this year, saying that Wistron is expected to ship more smartphones in 2017 as compared to last year. Without providing any exact figures, the executive said that the company's facility in India is also manufacturing "a small number" of handsets. He further observed that the number of phones that Wistron will be manufacturing for Apple in India will depend upon the negotiations between the Indian Government and the Cupertino giant.
It is important to note that the current generation of iPhones is water- and dust-resistant, compliant to the IP67 standard. For now, we can only speculate as to whether all upcoming iPhones will feature wireless charging and waterproofing (although Hwang's comment appears to suggest it) or just the rumored Anniversary Edition model. As can be expected, Apple has not confirmed the report as of yet.
Source: Nikkei Asian Review
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