Foxconn

327 'Foxconn' stories December 2010 - October 2014

Foxconn hoping to make future iPhone screens, get more of the Apple pie

Ben Lovejoy Oct 23 2014 - 4:48 am PT

iPhone assembler Foxconn is apparently hoping to move beyond its relatively low-margin work into more profitable high-end component manufacturing in order to take a bigger slice of revenue from Apple, reports the WSJ.

Apple Inc.’s major assembler Foxconn is in preliminary discussions with a provincial government in northern China for an investment in a new factory that would make high-end screens for iPhones and other mobile devices, people familiar with the talks say.

Foxconn already manufactures some iPhone components, but currently only low-margin ones like metal casings and cables …
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Tim Cook pays a visit to Zhengzhou iPhone factory during trip to China

Mike Beasley Oct 22 2014 - 6:47 pm PT

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Tim Cook paid a visit to a Foxconn factory in Zhengzhou, China during a trip across the country. The Apple executive tweeted the photo above with one of the workers assembling an iPhone. Cook will meet with Chinese Apple employees later for a special Q&A session where he will answer questions from workers across the world.

The CEO is also scheduled to meet with the Vice Premier of China following recent reports that the nation’s government was engaging in iCloud phishing attacks.

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Supply chain rumor says Quanta kicking off Apple Watch production in Jan 2015

Zac Hall Sep 30 2014 - 8:17 am PT

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Apple has already previewed the Apple Watch at this month’s iPhone event and the unreleased wearable is currently on display in Paris’s Collette, but Apple hasn’t shared specific availability details for the Apple Watch beyond saying ‘early 2015’. A rumor from the Asian supply chain shared by Apple Daily (via GforGames) claims Quanta Computer out of Taiwan will kick off mass production for the Watch for Apple in January 2015…
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iPhone 6 production by the numbers: 100 production lines, 200k workers, 540k phones a day

Ben Lovejoy Sep 17 2014 - 5:39 am PT

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The WSJ revealed some iPhone 6 production numbers as Foxconn struggles to meet demand from pre-orders: the company is operating around 100 production lines around the clock, has 200,000 workers dedicated to production of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus – and is manufacturing 540,000 units a day.

“We have been churning out 140,000 iPhone 6 Plus and 400,000 iPhone 6 every day, the highest daily output ever, but the volume is still not enough to meet the preorders,” said a person familiar with the matter …

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Claimed Foxconn leaked screenshots seemingly confirm earlier iPhone 6 details in all their glory

Ben Lovejoy Aug 22 2014 - 4:26 am PT

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French site iGen has posted what it claims are screenshots from Foxconn, which – if genuine – confirm a number of details from earlier reports, and to reveal the dimensions of prototypes of both iPhone 6 models. The screenshots appear to be fuller versions of the raised camera schematic posted by Apple Club Taiwan a couple of days ago.

It should be noted that there is no way to know when these prototypes were created (though some photos appear to date back to February), and that dimensions of the production model could change. The 4.7-inch model (code-named N61) is shown as measuring 138.14x97x6.9mm, while two different 5.5-inch prototypes (code-named N56) are shown, the larger of them measuring 158.07×77.79×7.1mm. The codenames are consistent with ones we’ve seen before, but are well-known so this is not evidence that the screenshots are genuine …
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Unconfirmed reports that Pegatron is making half the 4.7-inch models of the iPhone 6

Ben Lovejoy Aug 14 2014 - 4:38 am PT

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Digitimes is reporting that Pegatron is making half of the 4.7-inch model of the iPhone 6, at least for orders placed in 2014. Citing upstream suppliers (those making components for delivery to the assembly plants), it’s rumored that Apple has asked Pegatron to make 25M of its initial order of 50M phones, with primary supplier Foxconn making the rest – along with all of the 5.5-inch models.

Taiwan’s Commercial Times had originally suggested that Pegatron would be receiving only 15 percent of orders, while DigiTimes said back in May that it was 30 percent – the same source that now says 50 percent. If you’re thinking all this suggests they are simply plucking numbers out of the air, you may well be right.

Either way, we’re expecting Apple to finally unveil the long-awaited iPhone 6 on 9th September. Recent claimed leaked parts have shown tapered edges on the display panel and the power button moved from the top to the side of the phone; a raised camera cutout; and a single, circular True Tone flash.

We’ve heard sketchy rumors about the battery capacity, and the same rumors about NFC we hear every year.

Everything we’ve seen does, though, point to a significantly slimmer and more rounded design.

Apple bans potentially dangerous chemicals from iPhone and iPad assembly process (Update: Apple statement)

Mike Beasley Aug 13 2014 - 5:06 pm PT

3 Comments

Photo: Sunday Mirror

Five months after Chinese and American labor watchdog groups petitioned Apple to investigate the use of potentially hazardous materials in its iPhone and iPad assembly process, the company has announced that it will make changes banning the use of at least two chemicals, the Associated Press reported today. The chemicals in question are benzene and n-hexane, which are tied to lukemia and nerve damage, respectively.

After conducting a four-month study, Apple says it determined that there was no evidence to suggest that these chemicals posed a threat to workers assembling its devices in twenty-two factories, but announced that it would take steps to ensure that it would not become a problem in the future. To that end, both benzene and n-hexane have been banned from the assembly line.

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Spurious claim Apple will release 4.7- and 5.5-inch iPhones separately ‘to avoid competition’

Ben Lovejoy Jul 24 2014 - 4:38 am PT

56 Comments

Supply-chain rumors are can be unreliable sources at the best of times, but never more so than when they claim to offer insight into Apple’s strategic plans. DigiTimes is claiming that Apple will be launching the 4.7- and 5.5-inch models of the iPhone 6 separately “to avoid competition between the two models.”

The different timetables have been set as Apple does not want to repeat the mistake it made in 2013 when it launched the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c simultaneously, said the sources.

Let’s take this one step at a time. First, what companies in the supply-chain know are how many orders have been placed with them for specific components. They don’t know what orders Apple may have placed with other suppliers for the same components, and they don’t even necessarily know in which product the parts will be used …
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Chinese sellers taking iPhone 6 pre-orders two months before anticipated launch

Ben Lovejoy Jul 22 2014 - 4:33 am PT

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It might be two months before the rumored launch date of the iPhone 6, with a working phone yet to be sighted and no clue as to the retail price, but that isn’t stopping sellers taking pre-orders, reports the WSJ.

More than thirty sellers on Alibaba’s Taobao marketplace said they can help purchase the upcoming new iPhone 6s from the U.S. and Hong Kong. But there’s one catch: consumers have to pay a deposit ranging from 500 yuan ($80) to 7,999 yuan ($1288).

One seller even went as far as putting together a laughable mockup of an Apple webpage for the iPhone 6 (the full page can be seen below).

Another seller claimed the price of the unsubsidized 4.7-inch model would start at 5,288 yuan ($851) , with the 5.5-inch version starting at 5,988 yuan ($964), but there is absolutely no reason to think they have any information on Apple’s pricing plans.

Back in the real world, it’s been reported that Apple is looking to produce 70-80M iPhone 6 handsets by the end of the year, with production expected to begin imminently after Foxconn confirmed hiring 100,000 new workers for the project.

Here, for your amusement, is that full hilarious attempt at mocking up the iPhone 6 page on the Apple website (complete with the line that it was ‘made for iOS 7’) …

WSJ: Apple prepares record number of 80 million 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhones for production

Mike Beasley Jul 21 2014 - 5:09 pm PT

18 Comments

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple has told its suppliers to prepare to build a record number of next-gen iPhones. According to the Journal, Apple is looking to produce 70-80 million units by December 30th. As reported earlier this month, both the 4.7-inch and the larger 5.5-inch models of the upcoming iPhone are expected to enter mass production in the coming weeks.

This is a big jump from the previous iPhone models. Last year the company only ordered 50-60 million of the iPhone 5s and 5c. Manufacturing parter Foxconn recently hired as many as 100,000 new workers to help meet the increased demand, and even ordered a custom line of robotic equipment to facilitate the production of iPhone 6.

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Can’t wait until September? The Goophone i6 is out now, and it will fool your friends

Ben Lovejoy Jul 18 2014 - 4:37 am PT

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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z2C8ED4piM]

The iPhone 6 may not actually exist yet, but that hasn’t stopped Chinese clone manufacturers releasing functional knock-offs based on the leaks and mockups. Now Goophone – the company which previously made an extremely close copy of the iPhone 5s – has joined the party with the WICO i6.

As ever with Goophone, the quality of both the casing and the iOS-themed Android skin is certainly good enough to fool the casual observer – almost worth getting one to prank people …

As for the real thing, production of the 4.7-inch model is expected to start next week, and the 5.5-inch version the second week in August, Foxconn hiring 100,000 new workers for the assembly process.

There’s been a steady stream of claimed leaked parts from the phone, including a scratch test of a sapphire display; both photos and video of the back of the phone; the LCD bracket; the chassis; a ‘more durable’ Touch ID sensor‘; and a battery and camera sensor.

4.7-inch iPhone production to start third week of July, 5.5-inch second week of August as Foxconn confirms hiring of 100K workers

Mike Beasley Jul 17 2014 - 7:04 pm PT

29 Comments

Apple is set to begin mass production of the next-generation iPhone next week, the Economic Daily reported today. According to the report, the smaller 4.7-inch model will enter production in the third week of July, while the larger 5.5-inch variant will enter production in the second week of August. The bigger of the two models is said to be facing production setbacks that could lead to a much later launch date than its smaller cousin.

iPhone manufacturer Foxconn added some credence to the timing of the production rumors by officially confirming plans originally reported earlier this month to hire 100,000 new workers to build the upcoming device. Sapphire crystal for the displays (which we’ve recently seen in multiple videos) has been in production at Apple’s Mesa, AZ plant for several months now in preparation for mass production.

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Foxconn prepares to replace workers with robots in iPhone 6 assembly process

Mike Beasley Jul 6 2014 - 4:48 pm PT

32 Comments

Photo: Thomson Reuters

Foxconn is preparing to enhance its assembly process with a new line of robots, the CEO of the iPhone manufacturer’s parent company said during a shareholder meeting. According to the executive, Apple will be the first company to reap the benefits of the new process, likely indicating that the iPhone 6 will be the first phone to be produced by the new machines.

Each of the planned 10,000 robots will cost the company between $20,000 and $25,000, and will be capable of churning out 300,000 smartphones on average. The machines, which are said to be in the final testing stages now, won’t be available for sale to other companies, according to CEO Terry Gou, as Foxconn will likely not have enough to meet its own needs.

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Foxconn reportedly hiring 100,000 new workers to assist with iPhone 6 production

Mike Beasley Jun 22 2014 - 10:09 pm PT

18 Comments

iPhone manufacturing partner Foxconn is in the process of hiring 100,000 new workers in order to ramp up iPhone 6 production, according to a new report from Taiwanese Economic Daily. Another iPhone manufacturer, Pegatron, is also said to be ramping up hiring in anticipation of the new smartphone.

Hiring frenzies like this are not uncommon as new iPhone models prepare to enter production, but in the case of Foxconn the figure represents a new record number of jobs.

According to the report, Foxconn is reportedly responsible for producing 70% of iPhone 6 orders. The report claims that the device will enter mass production in July. Leaked dummies have already given us an idea of what the phone will look like, including the LCD for the rumored 5.5-inch model.

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Latest unverified photos from Weibo claim to show iPhone 6 schematics, production tools

Mike Beasley Apr 13 2014 - 12:51 pm PT

24 Comments

A new batch of photos appearing on the Weibo social network claim to show new production schematics and die for manufacturing the body of the iPhone 6 inside a Foxoconn facility, as noted by GforGames. A few of the photos (below) definitely show some sort of technical design documents, though we can’t be sure what they show as they are both incredibly technical and written in Chinese.

The molds, as seen above, definitely appear to be designed to produce a smartphone, but there is no confirmation that these will be used for the iPhone 6 as opposed to a phone from some other manufacturer. Apple is rumored to be working on two different models of the iPhone 6 with different screen sizes. If they are designed for the next iPhone, these molds could be for the 4.7″ or 5.5″ models.

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Foxconn gives a shoutout to Apple products after profits climb 13 percent

Ben Lovejoy Mar 28 2014 - 8:35 am PT

8 Comments

Apple’s lead manufacturer Foxconn reported a 13 percent rise in net profit to 106.7B new Taiwan dollars (US$3.5B) following record iPhone and iPad sales, reports the WSJ. More than 40 percent of the company’s revenue comes from Apple.

The news comes a few days after Apple supplier Pegatron reported a 22 percent rise in earnings.

Hon Hai’s results were underpinned by demand from Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple, which sold 51 million iPhones in its fiscal first quarter ended Dec. 28, 2013—up 7% from the same period the previous year […]

Apple also said it sold a record 26 million iPads in the quarter, compared with 22.9 million in the year-ago period …

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Someone is happy with iPhone 5c sales: Pegatron posts a 22 percent rise in earnings

Ben Lovejoy Mar 24 2014 - 7:52 am PT

8 Comments

Photo: Associated Press

Pegatron, Apple’s main supplier for the iPhone 5c, has reported 22 percent year-on-year earnings growth, citing mobile products as the main source of the increase. KGI Securities analyst Angela Hsiang told the WSJ that Apple provides 40 percent of the company’s business.

Pegatron has long been a secondary iPhone supplier, but was last year given the lead in production of the iPhone 5c, which it manufactures along with the iPad Mini. The company did not provide any breakdown in earnings between the two products.

Although the earnings increase is a big rise, the company’s operating margin is testament to the tough deals Apple strikes with its suppliers: Pegatron’s operating margin increased from 1.6 percent to 1.9 percent.

Pegatron is expected to share production of the iPhone 6 with Apple’s lead supplier Foxconn.

Opening of first Apple Store in Brazil draws large crowds despite high prices

Ben Lovejoy Feb 17 2014 - 4:00 am PT

6 Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-CAut6hkPs]

Around 1,700 people attended the opening of Apple’s first retail store in Brazil, in the popular Village Mall in a suburb of Rio de Janeiro – despite steep import tariffs meaning prices 80 percent higher than in the USA.

As the LA Times observes, a 16GB iPhone 5s sells for the equivalent of $1,174 in Brazil, compared to $649 in the U.S.

We first told you the store was planned all the way back in 2012, learning the the approximate opening date in October last year. Apple began teasing the opening last month before announcing the opening date.

To avoid the high tariffs imposed on imported goods, Apple has been working with Foxconn since 2011 to set up manufacturing or assembly plants in the country.

Apple’s supplier responsibility report highlights progress on working conditions, boosts focus on environment

Ben Lovejoy Feb 13 2014 - 4:21 am PT

2 Comments

Apple’s eighth annual Supplier Responsibility Progress Report highlights the progress made on reducing child labor and enforcing working hour limits, and shows a significant increase in the environmental standards Apple’s suppliers are expected to meet.

The number of cases of underage workers fell from 106 last year to 11 this year. Compliance with Apple’s requirement of a maximum working week of 60 hours hit 95 percent, with 97 percent meeting the requirement of at least one day off a week. Apple reported that the average working week of a supply chain employee was less than 50 hours …
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Future iPhones could be built by Google robots on Foxconn production lines

Ben Lovejoy Feb 11 2014 - 5:37 am PT

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In what would be a rather amusing twist, future iPhones could be built by Google robots as Google’s robotics division assists Foxconn to “speed up robot deployment” at its factories.

The WSJ reports that Foxconn was looking for assistance in automating its production lines, while Google is aiming to introduce robots to manufacturing processes that have so far been largely manual – electronics assembly being a key example. It takes around 600 people to make each iPhone.

Foxconn has been working with former Android executive Andy Rubin since last year to carry out the U.S. company’s vision for robotics.

To speed up robot deployment at its own factories, Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou met with Rubin in Taipei recently and they discussed new robotic technologies, they said.

At the meeting, Gou expressed excitement over new automation technologies demonstrated by Rubin, they said. Rubin also asked Gou to help integrate a technology company that Google is acquiring as Foxconn’s strength lies in mechanical engineering.

Google has acquired eight robotics companies over the course of the past year, and is believed to have ambitions to create a robotic operating system that would be to manufacturing what Android is to smartphones. Foxconn is looking to reduce operating costs and boost efficiency.

“Foxconn needs Google’s help to step up automation at its factories as the company has the lowest sales per employee among the contract makers, given its large workforce,” said Wanli Wang, an analyst at CIMB Securities.

Apple aggressively pushing to take Arizona sapphire plant live in February for ‘critical’ product component

Mark Gurman Jan 29 2014 - 8:40 pm PT

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In November of last year, Apple announced that it would be opening up a new manufacturing plant in Mesa, Arizona. Since that time, little information has come out about the plant except that it would be utilized to manufacture sapphire crystal for future Apple devices. The plant will be operated by Apple in tandem with GT Advanced Technologies. Earlier this year, we learned via (now removed) Apple job listings that the plant would involve components for future iPhone and iPod product lines.

Now, we have tracked down documents (with the help of analyst Matt Margolis) showing correspondence between U.S. Foreign Trade Zone officials and Apple’s Deputy Director of Global Trade Compliance. The documents were made public today by the Foreign Trade Zones Board. The papers indicate the materials Apple will utilize to manufacture sapphire, share details about Apple’s “aggressive” plan to take the facility live, and provide a description of how the sapphire will be used in future Apple products…

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Foxconn execs charged with taking bribes to award iPhone supply contracts

Ben Lovejoy Jan 23 2014 - 4:49 am PT

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Photo: Thomson Reuters

Several former execs at Foxconn have been charged with taking bribes from companies supplying the company with iPhone components, reports the WSJ.

Following a year of investigation, prosecutors said Thursday they have detained a former Foxconn general manager for allegedly taking kickbacks from supply chain partners. Prosecutors said three other former Foxconn employees were released on bail [after being charged] …
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Tim Cook calls China Mobile launch ‘a beginning’ as Chairman says ‘multi-million’ iPhones ordered

Mark Gurman Jan 14 2014 - 7:27 pm PT

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(Image via Getty Images)

Ahead of the launch of the iPhone on China Mobile on January 17th, Apple CEO Tim Cook sat down with the Wall Street Journal and other publications for a brief interview. Cook hints that this iPhone deal is only the beginning of a longer-term partnership between Apple and China’s largest mobile carrier:

Speaking in a small media briefing to Chinese media and The Wall Street Journal, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said he is “incredibly optimistic” about the outcome of the cooperation with the Chinese carrier.

“We’ve gotten to know each other….today is a beginning, and I think there are lots more things our companies can do together in the future,” Mr. Cook said.

Cook is likely referring to future generations of the iPhone, and other products such as the iPad, appearing on China Mobile’s network in the future. Cook also shares that half a million of the App Store developers are from China:

Mr. Cook said Apple wants to reach as many Chinese consumers as possible by offering iPhones through China Mobile, and added that the country has more than half a million people writing apps for the U.S. company’s iOS operating system.

“Apple has always been about making the best products, not the most products, so that’s always our North Star and that’s not going to change ever,” said Mr. Cook.

“Multi-millions” of iPhones have already been pre-ordered through China Mobile, according to a statement from China Mobile’s Chairman in the same interview. Earlier today, the WSJ reported that over one million iPhone 5s units were shipped from Foxconn to China Mobile.

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Report: Apple ships 1.4 million iPhone 5s units to China Mobile ahead of Jan. 17 launch

Jordan Kahn Jan 14 2014 - 7:20 am PT

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The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple has shipped approximately 1.4 million iPhone 5S units to China Mobile in preparation of the carrier’s iPhone launch on Jan. 17. The report notes it likely doesn’t present sales for the full month of January with preorders having kicked off under three weeks ago, but it is a good indication of how many new iPhone customers Apple could potentially get on a monthly basis through the deal:

“Shipping one million or more iPhones to a single carrier per month is substantial. But we have limited visibility beyond this month as Apple hasn’t informed Foxconn of the volume for the next shipment to China Mobile,” said the person.

Apple finally made things official last month when it announced in a press release that it had struck a deal with China Mobile to begin selling the iPhone 5s and 5c, marking the first time the iPhone would be sold through the carrier’s retail stores. China Mobile, the world’s largest carrier with over 760 million subscribers, started taking preorders for the device on December 25 following Apple’s announcement. No word on estimates for iPhone 5c shipments, but China Mobile is set to begin selling that device too starting Friday.