news

한어Русский языкEnglishFrançaisIndonesianSanskrit日本語DeutschPortuguêsΕλληνικάespañolItalianoSuomalainenLatina

phoenix.com review (author/yan shuo) on september 19, apple opened its applied research laboratory in shanghai to the media for the first time. at the same time, ge yue, managing director of apple greater china, and kaiann drance, vice president of iphone product marketing, introduced the role and significance of the shanghai applied research laboratory to the media including phoenix.com review, and demonstrated on site some extreme tests conducted on the manufacturing process of the new iphone 16 series.

this applied research laboratory mainly serves apple's new product manufacturing. due to its geographical advantage, it is very close to apple device manufacturers and suppliers. therefore, new product design, pattern making and reliability testing will be carried out here, which makes it easier to trace the source of the problem and discuss solutions with supplier partners.

in this lab, many devices are designed by apple and used exclusively. the standards for random drop tests and vibration tests are stricter than conventional solutions on the market, and the tests are more scientific. at the same time, many of the lab workers are phds from universities, who can use the most professional technical knowledge to solve problems encountered in the manufacturing process of apple products.

ge yue said: "apple products have high quality and reliability, and the shanghai applied research laboratory plays a vital role in this. from design, development to mass production, the laboratory provides reliability, failure analysis,

apple has invested more than rmb 1 billion in applied research laboratories in china, and the shanghai applied research laboratory has become the largest of its kind outside the united states.

during the visit, we actually participated in three experiments, namely random drop test, vibration test and waterproof test. in the random drop test, the device can generate multiple random drop angles in a specified range in advance, and then edit the drop order of these angles, and then the robotic arm will perform the random drop test.

the iphones participating in the test will fall on three surfaces: wooden boards, granite boards, and asphalt boards to simulate several common real-life environments. at the same time, vision pro and macbook pro will also undergo drop tests on this experimental equipment.

kaiann drance said: "our ultimate goal is to create the best product experience for users, and part of this is to ensure that every apple product is as reliable and durable as possible. this can be seen from the iphone's value retention, extended product life and reduced repair rate. apple is in the industry leader in product longevity."

the subsequent vibration test simulates various vibration scenarios that occur in daily life. you may put your iphone in a bag, throw it in the car, or put it in a checked suitcase, and let the plane bump at an altitude of 10,000 meters. in order to ensure that the camera can still be used and the phone will not have any problems after experiencing these bumps, all products will vibrate here.

this random vibration experiment can reach 3g acceleration, which is much stronger than the vibration intensity of large trucks and air transportation. it is precisely at the beginning of the design that such tests are carried out, so in daily life, whether you are walking, running or riding a bike with your iphone to take pictures, or fixing your phone in the car for navigation, these common vibration scenarios will not cause your lens module, faceid, and gyroscope to fail.

finally, the iphone is tested for water resistance. in the lab, different equipment can be used to simulate the different levels of water exposure required for ipx1 to ipx8, from spraying to simulate rain, to high-pressure water guns, to pressurizing in a sealed water tank to simulate immersion in water up to 6 meters deep. every iphone that supports water resistance must go through the same process to ensure stability during use.

“the team at the lab conducts experiments that simulate customer usage in a variety of conditions and scenarios, from extreme temperatures to intense exercise, to ensure product performance and reliability,” said kaiann drance. “over the years, the innovations generated by this process have enabled apple to introduce new materials for its products and reach new milestones in durability. we continue to conduct tests that go beyond industry standards to ensure our products meet higher internal standards.”

from the shanghai applied research laboratory, we can see apple's strict standards for its own products, as well as apple's reliance on and trust in the chinese supply chain. from the initial iphone assembly to today's design and manufacturing, participating in testing, and iterative design, these seemingly more core tasks are gradually being solved by chinese laboratories near the supply chain.

over the past few decades in china, apple and chinese manufacturing have promoted and achieved mutual success. now, apple has taken a step further in manufacturing, bringing together more top talents here, improving the quality of the iphone and the level of china's advanced manufacturing.

back to the new iphone itself, starting with the iphone 12 using the super-ceramic panel, the iphone's annual launch conference has an ad segment where someone deliberately drops their iphone and then picks it up and continues to use it, showing how durable the iphone is. perhaps apple doesn't want you to treat a nearly 10,000 yuan phone with caution, but rather to be able to use it in all scenarios without worrying about the precision equipment being unsustainable, making the iphone a reliable partner for realizing your productivity and creativity.

as for another important issue for apple, environmental protection, the more durable equipment manufactured in this laboratory will ultimately have greater value and a longer life cycle, further reducing the problem of electronic waste. combined with the extensive use of recyclable materials, apple will have greater confidence in achieving its goal of carbon neutrality by 2030.