Apple has taken innovative steps to enhance the production quality of iPhones and reduce material wastage by incorporating QR codes onto iPhone screens.

These QR codes are intricately etched onto each screen, allowing Apple to closely monitor and evaluate the quality of screens provided by its suppliers, Lens Technology and Biel Crystal. This pioneering move has reportedly reduced material wastage from 30% to a mere 10%, as reported by The Information.

The technology giant has invested significantly in a creative barcode initiative for its iPhone screens. Each screen now features two barcodes – one positioned on the inner edge of the bezel and a minuscule 0.2mm barcode in a separate location.

This initiative has significantly decreased screen defects from 30% to 10%, resulting in substantial cost savings for Apple. Furthermore, it has granted Apple greater control over production quality, preventing suppliers from billing for screens they claim to be faulty.

In the initial stages, Apple faced challenges when applying QR codes to iPhone screens, as it led to screen weakening and cracks in the vicinity of the code placement area during drop tests. Nevertheless, they successfully overcame these challenges by developing innovative scanning techniques and incorporating microscopic lenses to prevent excessively deep etchings in the glass.

The QR codes integrated into iPhone screens serve distinct purposes: the smaller one scrutinizes screens reported as defective, while the larger one identifies truly faulty displays, offering information about the supplier and potentially pinpointing specific production batches.

As AppleInsider reports, both display manufacturers have faced allegations of using forced labor, and Apple has received criticism for what some perceive as an insufficient response to these allegations.