Does SoC/RAM/LCD binning happen with phone parts?

[zijin_cheng]

My dad used to work at Fujitsu and he told me that lower level laptop manufacturers will buy batches of CPUs, LCDs with higher defect rates at a lower price.

As an example, a top tier manufacturer like Dell will only buy batches of Intel CPUs with 0.01% defects and won't accept anything less, while lower tier laptop manufacturers will accept batches with higher defect rates in them for a lower price, hence why Acer's reputation for quality laptops was considerably lower than a top tier manufacturer like HP or Dell back in the day.

Does that happen with cell phones?

EDIT: I think I'm using the word binning wrongly. Would Samsung pay more for batches (of an SD845) with lower defect rates, and those that cannot pay more are stuck with the batches with higher number of defects?

 

[Elixer]

Sure, they have to sell them to someone, and as long as they aren't complete trash, someone is going to buy the parts, and use them for something.

Look at the really cheap smartphones out there, you can bet the parts in those are of a lower quality than higher end phones.

 

[ElFenix]

LG uses the same screen in the V3 as it does in the Pixel2 XL, but the V3 supposedly has fewer screen issues. that could be explained by binning.


fwiw, what you're describing is basically the same thing that separates say, an audi from a regular volkswagen. for an A4's parts, VW (almost certainly) specifies tighter tolerances for parts than it does for golf parts. except that in electric circuits, as opposed to piston rings, the parts either tend to work, or not work. whereas a piston ring might just not last as long.