Apple has many, many suppliers for the various components that goes into its iPhone. In fact the company usually has more than one supplier in the event that one can’t deliver on time or to the standards that Apple requires. However recently it seems that Apple has taken it upon themselves to actually purchase the equipment necessary for some components.
In a report from ET News (via MacRumors), it seems that Apple has reportedly purchased tens of millions of dollars worth of production equipment for its rigid flexible printed circuit board, which clearly is a key component in the upcoming iPhone 8. For those unfamiliar, this basically combines both rigid and flexible technology into a single board that helps to conserve space.
Apple’s decision to purchase the necessary equipment was after one of its three suppliers decided to back out of the deal to supply it to Apple. While the reason behind the supplier pulling out is unclear, it has been speculated that the tricky production and the strict quality requirements was one of the factors, that and apparently the low profit margins that come along with it.
There have been claims to suggest that Apple could encounter some delays in launching the iPhone 8, and perhaps this could be one of the reasons why. It remains to be seen if these delays will actually happen, so take it with a grain of salt for now.