Phones and software ready to roll? Thoughts on manufacture process.

[shaunydub]

Just thinking to myself the launch is due soon & software was only recently signed off...how does this work in terms of productions / flashing with software.

• Do manufacturers produce millions of handsets and flash / pack them when they have final release?
• Produce millions of handsets once final software released?
• Ship unfinished version and push update on day 1?

It seems that a lot of manufacturers these days give less time between final software sign off and handset / tablets or whatever being released & the process intrigues me.

 

[X0LARIUM]

Interesting question. I think its like this:

A hardware prototype is designed with an early alpha/beta build.

The software and hardware progress simultaneously from thereon..

When finally thousands of units are manufactured, the software too reaches its final stages.

Once it is ready to be flashed (still trying to figure out the origin of the term ) they are just overwritten on the beta builds...

Won't be drastically different for tablets I'm guessing...
http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5318078_mobile-phone-manufacturing-process.html


And


http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_development_process

Sent from my RaZr S3.

 

[Heron_Kusanagi]

This is pure conjecture. But the video of how the N9 was assembled in Finland allows some ideas.

Basically, they flash the bios beforehand, and all parts, once fabricated, goes to this final assembly point where they are, well, assembled into the final product. When Microsoft signs off on the RTM then, one will expect the whole mechanism to kick in. With China's manufacturing being so close one another, I will expect the whole process to be about 3 weeks. Then 3-4 weeks go for the shipping and stuff.

 

[Coreldan]

Having worked 4+ years within a Nokia factory I could give you all kinds of details on the subject, but sadly I'm afraid it could breach the NDA.

But out of those the first option was closest to the reality, really (probably not talking about millions before the software is near ready, though). There are often day 1 patches for everything nowadays, it doesnt mean that the software was pushed out unfinished necessarily, there is always something to improve.

@Heron, my God.. if you only knew how many hours I've walked that factory area back and forth. I worked there as a security guard, I liked walking and observing from that balcony It's from the Salo factory in Finland that was recently discontinued, my home town <3 I live a few hundred meters from the Nokia campus. I was also laid off with the factory being discontinued, but nowadays I was only on the payroll as a reserve worker anyways as I study in university full time nowadays, but I still did occasional shifts with school when they needed to replace someone who got sick. Loved the job and the place!

 

[shaunydub]

Cool, thanks for helping with my curiosity :happy:

 

[Heron_Kusanagi]

Having worked 4+ years within a Nokia factory I could give you all kinds of details on the subject, but sadly I'm afraid it could breach the NDA.

But out of those the first option was closest to the reality, really (probably not talking about millions before the software is near ready, though). There are often day 1 patches for everything nowadays, it doesnt mean that the software was pushed out unfinished necessarily, there is always something to improve.

@Heron, my God.. if you only knew how many hours I've walked that factory area back and forth. I worked there as a security guard, I liked walking and observing from that balcony It's from the Salo factory in Finland that was recently discontinued, my home town <3 I live a few hundred meters from the Nokia campus. I was also laid off with the factory being discontinued, but nowadays I was only on the payroll as a reserve worker anyways as I study in university full time nowadays, but I still did occasional shifts with school when they needed to replace someone who got sick. Loved the job and the place!

Wow, I envy you quite a bit for getting a chance to work with Nokia. It's not exactly a dream for me, as I am not exactly tech-inclined, but it must be nice. Nokia's a company I respect, and even with the stupid mistakes, the design cues they do are simply outstanding (the poor N97 aside).

 

[Coreldan]

I wasnt really a tech freak until the Salo factory started working on the N8. I got a chance to try the phone way before it was out too and I was completely sold. Still using it now, 2 years and half a month later from it's day 1.

It was funny cos I preordered my phone from the flagshipstore in Helsinki cos I study there. So early in the morning when I woke up, I read in the news that the N8s had been shipped out of the factory, 200m from where I lived. So, I then took the first train available to chase the phones to Helsinki to get mine from the flagshipstore I had school that day, but only a few hours later. I didnt have problems spending the few hours waiting for the classes to start

 

[Heron_Kusanagi]

I wasnt really a tech freak until the Salo factory started working on the N8. I got a chance to try the phone way before it was out too and I was completely sold. Still using it now, 2 years and half a month later from it's day 1.

It was funny cos I preordered my phone from the flagshipstore in Helsinki cos I study there. So early in the morning when I woke up, I read in the news that the N8s had been shipped out of the factory, 200m from where I lived. So, I then took the first train available to chase the phones to Helsinki to get mine from the flagshipstore I had school that day, but only a few hours later. I didnt have problems spending the few hours waiting for the classes to start

Sounds fun, and I will love to pick up an N8 if only the phone wasn't orphaned on Feb 11.

 

[brmiller1976]

I hear the elves who make WPs are going to be working overtime, because Foxconn needs to make toys for Santa with them too!