iPhone prototypes go through many stages before mass production starts.
The iPhone 17 is getting closer to mass production, as it takes an important step ahead of its eventual release this fall.
The annual cycle for the main iPhone releases in September means that mass production of the iPhone has to occur during the summer. To get to that point of manufacturing, the year’s iPhone has to pass through a number of stages to ensure production goes smoothly.
According to a Monday report from DigiTimes, as spotted by MacRumors, at least of one the models has completed one of the early stages of pre-production testing. The report doesn’t specify which models of the 2025 roster have done so, but that it was Engineering Validation Testing, or EVT.
EVT is the first major step after prototyping, which focuses on perfecting the hardware itself, so that there are no hardware-related problems in the product. The EVT stage can often consist of multiple substages, typically numbered EVT-1 and so on, if small changes are made to the physical design.
One step of many
Reaching EVT is an important stage, as it indicates Apple has settled on specific hardware specifications for its new models. However, there are a number of other stages that follow.
After EVT is DVT, Design Validation testing, which makes sure the hardware is functional and has a viable design. One that doesn’t have any defects or structural issues that could cause problems post release.
Then there’s Product Validation Testing, PVT, which uses finalized prototypes that are virtually identical to final mass production units. This phase is primarily used to perfect manufacturing procedures with only very minor changes allowed at this point.
Once all phases are completed, the device is ready for full scale manufacture.
A device completing EVT at this time of the year is fairly typical when considering Apple’s usual schedule for production. However, there’s always the chance of issues during each stage, which can potentially impact launch stock levels if severe enough.
