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I wouldn't be surprised if they're produced without software first. Then flashed and final tested a couple weeks before launch. Can't imagine they have the software ready months before launch when they first start production.
 
I seem to remember, when I got the 12 last year, it came with IOS 13x, not 14. After finishing up the initial setup, the settings app had the big red update icon on it. Once I went there, I started the update, to 14, the recent release...It would be interesting to see when someone gets a new 13 device, what IOS version it shipped with...
 
If I can find the article, I’ll post it, but I remember reading that the phones are boxed up in some quasi-limbo state waiting for commands, and they flash the entire lot via wifi all at once, inside the boxes.

It’s custom software that doesn’t exist outside of the factory and it’s gone when their flashed.

Had heard the same thing
 
I've wondered the logistics of this too since the phones are already being shipped and the RC was just released last week.
It was released to the public then, but it was build internally mid August or so. They will be installing it on the phones from the last week of August. It’ll likely be the RC build, so the new devices are likely to need an update as part of setup on Friday, as we’ve seen happen at least once before.
 
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I think they flash the phones before they get assembled. They will probably test the motherboard, connections etc before they place it in the phone body, the things like display and speakers get tested before they get connected.

I doubt they flash via wifi or by connecting each single device to a lightning dock. They sure put it on the internal memory before this is placed on the motherboard. Would be a lot easier.
 
I’ve heard the wireless flashing “rumor” before too, but not sure I believe it. It seems like that would require way too much bandwidth to update thousands of phones in bulk. It’d be slow and have a lot of wireless interference, not to mention having to sort through the boxes to pull out the ones that failed. Who knows, maybe Apple solved that problem. I would love to read up on this if it does exist.

I could only find this article that has been reposted a few times on the web. I think it makes more sense to flash them by cable. I mean, the batteries likely need to be charged too, so might as well just flash the phones while they are plugged in.


If Apple does it similar to how Samsung does it, no wonder they aren’t in any hurry to update their equipment/lightning cables in order to switch the iPhone to USB-C… o_O

OS-Installation-Samsung-Galaxy-in-Factory.jpg
 
I’ve heard the wireless flashing “rumor” before too, but not sure I believe it. It seems like that would require way too much bandwidth to update thousands of phones in bulk.


Not if they use multicast. This is at least used by companies to deploy windows on many computers at the same time.

Here's how microsoft explains it:
"Multicast is a network optimization method that you can use when multiple clients are likely to download the same OS image at the same time. When you use multicast, multiple computers simultaneously download the OS image as it's multicast by the distribution point. This behavior is instead of each client downloading a copy of the image over a separate connection from the distribution point."
 
Not if they use multicast. This is at least used by companies to deploy windows on many computers at the same time.

Here's how microsoft explains it:
"Multicast is a network optimization method that you can use when multiple clients are likely to download the same OS image at the same time. When you use multicast, multiple computers simultaneously download the OS image as it's multicast by the distribution point. This behavior is instead of each client downloading a copy of the image over a separate connection from the distribution point."
I think they do do it OTA, but I think it’s a process that still has to start 3 weeks before shipping from China, due to the amount of devices to get around the world.
 
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I personally do think it’s done wirelessly.. could be something as simple as depending on time they are produced, they turn on in the box at a certain time and begin downloading software. Hence keeping, the WiFi network from being overloaded. But with somewifi equipment able to handle thousands of connections at the same time and with the OS download being local in the factory. I’m sure that the software downloads extremely fast. WiFi 5 speeds reach up to 450-500mbps. You definitely can achieve those speed’s in a local transfer environment. OS would download in less than 15 seconds max per phone.
 
I’ve heard the wireless flashing “rumor” before too, but not sure I believe it. It seems like that would require way too much bandwidth to update thousands of phones in bulk. It’d be slow and have a lot of wireless interference, not to mention having to sort through the boxes to pull out the ones that failed. Who knows, maybe Apple solved that problem. I would love to read up on this if it does exist.

I could only find this article that has been reposted a few times on the web. I think it makes more sense to flash them by cable. I mean, the batteries likely need to be charged too, so might as well just flash the phones while they are plugged in.


If Apple does it similar to how Samsung does it, no wonder they aren’t in any hurry to update their equipment/lightning cables in order to switch the iPhone to USB-C… o_O

OS-Installation-Samsung-Galaxy-in-Factory.jpg
I don’t know how they can flash millions of phones like this
 
You know Foxconn makes up to 500,000 phones a day. Its not going to be wifi. Just silly when you need to run hardware diagnostics / battery charging / screen burn in etc. They hook them up to a cable & install. Simple. A lot of the manufacturing process is manual - much more than you might imagine.
 
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You know Foxconn makes up to 500,000 phones a day. Its not going to be wifi. Just silly when you need to run hardware diagnostics / battery charging / screen burn in etc. They hook them up to a cable & install. Simple. A lot of the manufacturing process is manual - much more than you might imagine.
I think you might be right but don’t work for Apple so who knows with certainty though.
 
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