Company may need help in meeting demand

Apple is signing up a second major manufacturer to produce the fourth-generation iPhone, industry sources claim. Pegatron Technology, an ASUS subsidiary, will allegedly fill in alongside Foxconn, a long-time Apple partner already manufacturing the iPhone 3GS. Though Pegatron has refused to comment one way or another, it has said that its phone shipments should grow significantly during 2010. The company has also landed several other phone contracts, the sources say.

In recent months Pegatron has been tied to rumors of a "world phone" model of the iPhone, which would use a hybrid chipset to access both CDMA and GSM networks. While GSM is the most common cellular protocol around the globe, the lack of CDMA has prevented the iPhone from working with carriers such as Verizon and Sprint, ultimately limiting potential sales. Rumors of a Verizon iPhone have accelerated in recent months, though some were proven wrong when the topic was not mentioned at a January 27th press event.

by MacNN Staff