Apple supplier Genius Electronic Optical is reportedly improving its production yields for lens modules on the iPhone X, which may help to explain the rapid reduction in the product's shipping times.

Genius has refined its yields for both the phone's regular 7-megapixel front-facing camera and the TrueDepth 3D-sensing system, DigiTimes sources claimed on Monday. The firm's earnings per share hit their highest monthly level in five years during October.

Last week, KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested that Apple improving shipping to 1 to 2 weeks was a result of the supply chain solving problems with both LTE antennas and the TrueDepth camera. On the second point, though, Kuo credited better dot projector production from LG Innotek and Sharp.

Apple's main assembly partner —Foxconn —is believed to be producing between 450,000 and 550,000 iPhone X units per day, a dramatic surge versus the 50,000 to 150,000 in the weeks ahead of the phone's Nov. 3 launch. Launch-day preorders sold out in 10 minutes, and within two hours Apple was quoting delays between 5 to 6 weeks.

Even some of those orders appear to have had delivery times shortened though, and today U.S. buyers can expect phones to arrive between Dec. 11 and 18 —if they can't find one at retail.

The TrueDepth camera is primarily used for Face ID, but also plays a role in animoji, and can be used in third-party apps to a limited extent.

Source: appleinsider