07/21, 9:40pm
Compares to 50-60 million units ordered for iPhone 5s/5c launch last year
A new report citing unnamed sources "familiar with the matter" claims that Apple has put in orders for its largest-ever initial iPhone run, asking suppliers Foxconn and Pegatron to produce between 70 million and 80 million units for the devices' debut in the fall through the end of the year. Claiming that the order includes both 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models (though the latter has yet to reveal solid evidence of actually existing), the new upcoming production run compares to the 50-60 million units ordered for the iPhone 5s and 5c last year.
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07/17, 10:58pm
Foxconn confirms massive hiring spree for production ramp-up
Taiwain's Economic Daily News, which has been on a spree of sometimes-dubious claims about the forthcoming new iPhone and possible additional models, is now reporting that Apple's alleged 4.7-inch "iPhone 6" model will begin production next week, with the supposed 5.5-inch model starting production in the second week of August for a later launch date. Foxconn has inadvertently supported the report by confirming plans to hire 100,000 new workers.
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07/09, 10:22am
May minimize job losses
Foxconn's upcoming robot deployment on Apple-based production lines will only be in a supportive role, leaving human jobs mostly intact, claims Taiwan's United Daily News. Sources say that the robots will help in tasks like locking down screws and polishing parts, leaving the most essential tasks -- namely assembly and quality control -- to people. The sources add that the robots will first be used at Foxconn's Zhengzhou factory, where flagship iPhones are built.
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07/07, 10:33am
Apple-based assembly lines getting first crack at automation
Foxconn is in the final stages of testing new assembly robots, and could deploy them at one or more major factories in the near future, reports say. During the initial deployment phase, Foxconn is expected to use 10,000 robots to replace human workers, with Apple product lines being the top priority. While there's no exact date for when the robots will be installed, they could be ready in time to help with iPhone 6 production.
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06/24, 10:02am
Defects delay Catcher's entry into device's supply chain
Apple has at least temporarily rejected Catcher as a source for 4.7-inch iPhone 6 casings, says China's Economic Daily News. In testing, Apple is said to have discovered defects in the areas connecting metal and plastic parts in sample casings, caused by Catcher's anodizing methods. In the short-term orders have been placed with Jabil and Foxconn instead; it may take Catcher up to two to three months to fix the glitches.
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06/23, 9:21am
Pegatron also boosting workforce
Hon Hai -- better known as Foxconn -- is preparing to hire some 100,000 people in mainland China to help manufacture new iPhones, says Taiwan's Economic Daily News. The effort is described as the company's largest-ever Chinese hiring spree. Another major Apple supplier, Pegatron, is meanwhile said to be boosting labor at a mainland factory by 30 percent for the sake of iPhone production. Foxconn is expected to handle 70 percent of orders, while Pegatron will deal with the remainder.
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06/16, 10:06am
Could make Sharp more integral to Apple supply chain
Apple's main assembly partner, Foxconn, is in talks to use Sharp technology to help build iPhone and iPad displays, says Taiwanese publication the United Daily News. Sharp is one of several companies already involved in producing displays for Apple products; if Foxconn itself can build displays, though, it could reduce supply bottlenecks, streamline development, and/or reduce Apple's dependence on other panel suppliers, which include LG Display, Japan Display, and Samsung.
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05/27, 12:43pm
5.5-inch device still missing from most leaks
Foxconn will handle about 70 percent of 4.7-inch iPhone 6 production in 2015, and is expected to start shipping units to Apple as soon as July of this year, claims Digitimes. The site adds that Apple's 5.5-inch iPhone will enter production a month later. In April, a similar report suggested that the 5.5-inch model would only start manufacturing in September.
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05/27, 8:03am
Merger between Asia Pacific Telecom, Foxconn subsidiary expected in June
Foxconn is looking to acquire a large stake in Taiwan-based Asia Pacific Telecom, in order to have a greater influence on the country's 4G cellular phone services. The deal, said to be worth T$11.6 billion ($390 million), will be a precursor to a merger, where the telecoms company would join up with a Foxconn subsidiary, which could complete as early as this June.
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05/16, 10:51am
Anti-Chinese sentiment impacts Taiwanese firm
Prominent Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn has been forced to shut down its production in Vietnam for three days due to anti-Chinese protests in the country, says the Financial Times. China recently began drilling for oil near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, a region claimed by China, Vietnam, and Taiwan alike. Confrontations between Chinese and Vietnamese boats has led to hostility between the two countries' governments, and anti-Chinese violence by some in the Vietnamese public. 21 people have been killed so far, and protesters have ransacked factories near Ho Chi Minh City thought to be linked to China, regardless of whether they actually are.
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04/14, 10:38am
Existence of molds suggests Foxconn almost ready to go into production
(Updated with Nowhereelse mold photo) Photos posted to Chinese site Sina Weibo show what appear to be schematics and case molds for a next-generation iPhone. The schematics indicate a design roughly consistent with current iPhones, including touches like chamfered edges and thin bezels. It's difficult to determine size, but one obvious difference is the phone's depth, which is even thinner than the iPhone 5s.
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03/31, 12:45pm
Details include larger chassis, protruding lens section
New photos posted on Chinese site Weibo may show a test unit for the iPhone 6. The images are said to have been leaked from Apple's primary manufacturer, Foxconn, but no other details are available. They are however consistent with recent rumors calling for a thin, iPad mini-like chassis paired with a much larger display. A lens ring appears to protrude from the test unit's camera, much like the Nexus 5 and other phones that have advanced optics such as image stabilization.
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03/28, 1:07pm
Bulk of manufacturer's revenue tethered to Apple
Taiwan-based manufacturer Hon Hai -- better known as Foxconn -- saw its profits rise 13 percent last year to $3.5 billion, something attributed mainly to record iPhone and iPad sales, according to the Wall Street Journal. Foxconn is closely linked to Apple, deriving over 40 percent of its revenue from Apple orders. As such, any fluctuation in iPhone and iPad sales can dramatically affect its income.
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02/13, 9:13am
Company specifically worried about Congo
Apple has published its eighth Supplier Responsibility report, based on data including 451 audits of its suppliers. The company claims a 95 percent compliance with the maximum 60-hour work week in its Supplier Code, a slightly improvement from 92 percent a year ago. Notably, Apple says it is now keeping a closer watch on where suppliers pull minerals from, in a bid to avoid "conflict" minerals -- minerals from regions where their sale may be used to fund ongoing wars. In particular, the Apple is focused on the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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01/24, 3:30pm
May add to complexity of iPhone manufacturing
Foxconn recently finished assembling at least 100 prototype iPhones with sapphire-covered displays, says Taiwanese publication Apple Daily. The phones were built as part of a testing effort, and are said to have been assembled at a factory in the Longhua district of Shenzhen, China. Success has two-fold significance, because sapphire adds to the complexity of manufacturing, and it suggests that Apple will indeed use the material for future displays, replacing Corning's Gorilla Glass.
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01/22, 2:47pm
Dozen or more suspects taken into custody
At leas a dozen current and former senior managers at Foxconn have been arrested for accepting bribes from iPhone parts suppliers, according to Tencent. The scheme is alleged to have originated with the company's retired senior VP, Liao Wancheng (pictured). Suppliers were made to pay 2.5 percent of their sales in kickbacks, as well as additional bribes for each new order. The people receiving the cash are said to have reaped "hundreds of millions" in Taiwanese dollars.
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01/14, 9:43am
Apple, China Mobile may be anticipating high demand
China Mobile has taken in a shipment of approximately 1.4 million iPhone 5s units from Foxconn, sources tell the Wall Street Journal. Mobile is set to launch its own iPhone sales on Friday, after years of losing sales to China Unicom and China Telecom. One Journal source comments that shipping over a million units to a single carrier in a month is "substantial," but at the same time notes that he/she has no information about demand beyond this month. Allegedly, Apple hasn't notified Foxconn about its goal for the next shipment.
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01/03, 12:20pm
Reports still conflicting on possible sizes
Later this year, Apple is planning to release iPhones with displays measuring 4.7 and 5.7 inches, according to Chinese site C Technology. The information is alleged to come from anonymous Foxconn executives. It's expected that both phones will come with biometric features, such as the Touch ID sensor already in the iPhone 5s.
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12/20, 11:07am
Over half of BlackBerry loss stems from asset writedowns
BlackBerry has suffered a loss of $4.4 billion for the third quarter, worse than the $965 million lost in the previous quarter and the $114 million lost in Q3 2012, the company has revealed. At the same time as the tremendous loss, the company revealed it has signed a new five-year partnership with Foxconn to create new BlackBerry devices.
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12/12, 1:31pm
Excessive overtime remains unresolved
A report issued by the advocacy group Fair Labor Association has praised Foxconn for continuing to improve working conditions. An audit reportedly found that three of Foxconn's factories in Longhua, Chengdu and Guanlan, each tasked with assembling iPhones and other Apple devices, have satisfied nearly all of the goals that were outlined last year in a reform plan.
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12/11, 5:32pm
Foxconn putting $6.8 million into wearable tech
Foxconn – also known as Hon Hai, assembler of Apple's iPhones and iPads – is looking to capitalize on the anticipated boom in wearable tech by starting an investment fund to finance nascent companies working in the segment. Sources familiar with the project told Bloomberg this week that Syntrend Creative Park Co., a Foxconn unit, will administer the NT$200 million ($6.8 million) fund aimed at giving the firm a hand in the development of wearable devices in the vein of Samsung's Galaxy Gear smartwatch, the Google Glass eyewear computer, and the suspected Apple iWatch. The move is the latest by Foxconn to diversify its operations to handle more things than the construction of iOS devices for its most lucrative partner.
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11/27, 9:07am
Supplier adds more workers to assembly lines
The recent uptick in iPhone 5s supplies is connected to "around the clock" production at Foxconn, and more people being brought onto assembly lines, says the Wall Street Journal. At the supplier's Zhengzhou facilities, 100 lines are said to be operating at all hours for the 5s, with about 600 people per line. "We have been churning out about 500,000 iPhone 5ss everyday, the highest daily output ever," an anonymous Foxconn executive is quoted as saying.
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11/22, 12:57pm
$10 million of sum going toward research at Carnegie Mellon
Apple's main supplier, Foxconn, is planning to spend $40 million in Pennsylvania connected to a new factory, says Bloomberg. $30 million of that is going toward the factory itself, which will be based in Harrisburg and produce telecommunications equipment and Internet servers. The remaining $10 million will go toward research and development at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University.
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11/18, 10:28am
May be supported by recent claims of production scaling
Apple's main assembly partner, Foxconn, is halting production of the iPhone 5c at its Zhengzhou factory and shifting the labor towards the iPhone 5s, sources tell Digitimes. While Digitimes has a mixed track record, the claim is consistent with recent reports of cutbacks in 5c production. Foxconn in particular is said to be churning out just 8,000 to 9,000 units a day; the core 5c manufacturer, Pegatron, has allegedly scaled back from 320,000 phones per day in October to just 80,000.
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11/15, 12:49pm
iPhone 5s holds wide lead in popularity
Apple suppliers are cutting back still further on iPhone 5c production, a Chinese report says. Primary assembly partner ProTek -- better known under its parent name, Pegatron -- has slashed production from 320,000 units per day in October to only 80,000. Foxconn is said to be manufacturing units at a minimal level, only 8,000 to 9,000 per day. That company is, however, more focused on the iPhone 5s and other top-priority Apple products.
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11/06, 12:48pm
Foxconn, Apple said to be at loggerheads
Apple is planning to add two Taiwanese firms, Wistron and Compal, to its list of manufacturing partners, says the Wall Street Journal. The company currently depends mostly on Foxconn and Pegatron. Wistron is expected to take on iPhone 5c production, whereas Compal will help build the iPad mini. Foxconn will reportedly continue to focus on the iPhone 5s, though it's known to handle a range of Apple products.
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11/05, 12:18pm
March release would be out-of-cycle
Foxconn, Apple's main manufacturing partner, is currently testing a larger iPad expected to launch next spring, possibly in March, a Chinese report claims. The device is said to be in a late phase of testing, and with a screen due to measure either 11.4 or 12.9 inches. Apple's current flagship, the Air, uses the same 9.7-inch size employed since the first-generation iPad.
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10/16, 7:59am
Report cites executives at suppliers for decrease, increase in manufacturing
Apple is cutting the production of the iPhone 5c after it experienced low demand than the company expected, according to the Wall Street Journal. Echoing similar reports from last week, it is claimed that suppliers Foxconn and Pegatron have been requested by Apple to decrease iPhone 5c production by 20 percent and 30 percent respectively.
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10/10, 9:56am
Models for sale to be manufactured locally
Brazil's National Telecommunications Agency -- also known as Anatel -- has granted regulatory approval for the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, reports say. The agency states that the iPhones to be sold will be built at Foxconn's Jundiaí factory, near São Paulo. Documents also show that they will run on Brazil's native LTE frequency, 2600MHz; previous iPhones and iPads available in Brazil have only operated in the 700MHz band.
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10/03, 6:49pm
Foxconn probed for component orders, insider trading spawned by report
Citigroup has agreed to a settlement with Apple, where it will pay the Cupertino manufacturer a $30 million fine after Citigroup analyst Kevin Chang improperly distributed confidential research about an Apple supplier. The unpublished research detailed Hon Hai Precision Industry's iPhone 4, 4S and 5 component orders to Citadel, GLG Partners, SAC, and T. Rowe Price. Citigroup's research included incorrect information about iPhone orders in the first quarter of 2013, which induced SAC, Citadel, and T. Rowe Price to sell a large quantity of Apple stock, depressing the price.
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09/06, 4:44pm
Marks an end to long-running negotiations
Apple is getting ready to deliver iPhones to China Mobile, sources tell the Wall Street Journal. The paper notes that while it isn't clear if the two businesses have signed a formal sales agreement, the impending delivery of phones would mean that some sort of deal has been arranged. One source elaborates that Apple has asked its main manufacturing partner, Foxconn, to add China Mobile to the list of carriers that will be getting the low-cost iPhone, better known as the iPhone 5C. When Mobile might be getting the 5C is uncertain.
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08/19, 3:48pm
Foxconn to start delivering units early in the month
Apple has asked is main manufacturing partner, Hon Hai -- better known as Foxconn -- to start shipping new high-end and low-end iPhone models early next month, according to sources for the Wall Street Journal. Suppliers are said to have started parts production back in June. The sources don't have many details about the low-end phone, but do remark that the flagship device will have a metal casing and the same size and resolution as the iPhone 5.
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08/16, 3:25pm
Product would allegedly ship in first half of 2014
Officials from Apple met with peers at Corning, Foxconn, and G-Tech Optoelectronics in the US about two weeks ago to talk about the production of a TV set, according to sources for Taiwan's Economic Daily News. Foxconn is reportedly asking Corning to share some data about Gorilla Glass with G-Tech, so that the latter can do surface treatments needed to produce the set. G-Tech is relatively unknown in the West, but was once rumored to be behind the anti-reflection glass for the 2012 iMac.
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08/13, 3:45pm
Apple products account for over 40 percent of revenue
Hon Hai, better known as Foxconn, posted a 41 percent year-over-year increase in net profits during its second quarter, according to the Wall Street Journal. Net profits for Q2 2013 were NT$16.98 billion, or about $566.7 million US. In the same quarter of 2012, profits were NT$12.06 billion. The average forecast for this year had been NT$16.32 billion.
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08/05, 12:05pm
Suppliers dumping contaminated water, groups charge
Foxconn and UniMicron -- two key suppliers to Apple and other high-tech companies -- are being investigated by Chinese authorities over complaints of local rivers being polluted with heavy metals. The issue was brought to the attention of the Chinese government late last week, after allegations were made public by environmental activist Ma Jun and a group of five non-profit organizations. In particular the allegations deal with the town of Kunshan, roughly 40 miles west of Shanghai, where residents say pollution has been worsening over the past decade.
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07/10, 2:15am
Report refers to 'iPhone 6' but may be hinting at 'lite' model
China Business News is reporting that recruiters in Zhengzhou in the Henan province of China have begun a "large-scale" drive for new workers, suggesting that Foxconn is beginning the ramp-up for both Apple's next round of new iOS models as well as preparing for what is likely to be another record holiday season for the Cupertino giant. The Foxconn facility there has capacity for another 90,000 workers before it hits the 300,000-worker peak seen during the 2012 holiday rush, where Apple found itself scrambling to make the then-new iPhone 5 and iPad models fast enough to meet demand.
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06/27, 1:57pm
Manufacturer may be beating Apple to the punch
Hon Hai -- better known under its Foxconn brand -- has demonstrated a first-party smartwatch, reports say. The device can connect wirelessly to an iPhone, and display notifications for incoming phone calls and Facebook posts. Like some other smartwatches, it can monitor health signs like heartbeat and respiration, but with the bonus of tips on getting fitness up to par.
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06/13, 11:42am
TSMC, Largan, Foxconn, Texas Instruments among mentioned suppliers
Apple suppliers are now engaged in "intensive delivery" of a "large number" of parts for a low-cost iPhone, says the Commercial Times. TSMC is reportedly delivering 28nm processors, while Largan Precision is supplying an 8-megapixel camera. Foxconn is providing a battery module and most of the inner frame, while Taiflex Scientific is handling a flexible circuit. Other suppliers are said to include Chipbond, Kinsus, SPIL, Texas Instruments, and Renesas Electronics.
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06/13, 9:31am
Device could grow as large as 5.7 inches
Apple is considering a range of possible options for expanding its iPhone lineup in 2014, say four sources for Reuters, some of which are said to be with Asian suppliers. The people claim that Apple is considering two bigger iPhone sizes, including 4.7- and 5.7-inch dimensions. Suppliers have reportedly been approached with plans for the bigger screens, but whether or not they'll make it into shipping products is uncertain. "They constantly change product specifications almost to the final moment, so you're not really sure whether this is the final prototype," one source says.
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06/03, 12:31pm
Foxconn manufacturing five devices for unnamed OEM
Foxconn has signed a deal with Mozilla to put the Firefox OS mobile operating system onto a number of mobile devices. The smartphones, to be manufactured by Foxconn on behalf of an unnamed OEM, are also accompanied by the companies showing off a prototype tablet, one that was hinted at in a report last week.
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05/29, 11:30pm
Taiwan-based supplier has long history with Apple, rising star status
Apple may be turning to another of its partners and away from Foxconn as the primary supplier of some future Apple products, if a report from the Wall Street Journal is correct. The paper reports that Taiwan-based Pegatron, which has a history with Apple that goes back to the original iBooks, has won the contract to be the primary supplier of a future "low-cost" iPhone model that has been rumored for months. The company already produces most of the iPad minis, and recently announced it was hiring an additional 40,000 workers for an unnamed project.
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05/28, 3:17pm
Reveal of Firefox mobile device on day before Computex show
Foxconn is going to reveal a new mobile device alongside Mozilla on Monday, one that will apparently run on Firefox OS. While the event on June 3rd before Computex will showcase a new device of some description, neither Foxconn nor Mozilla have hinted at what it could be, but rumblings suggest it could end up being a tablet instead of a smartphone running the new mobile operating system.
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05/21, 3:55pm
Components to be sourced from US companies where possible
During his testimony before the Senate on Apple's tax strategies, CEO Tim Cook restated an earlier promise that a forthcoming Mac model -- not identified -- was going to be built in the United States, and further revealed that it would be assembled in Texas. While the exact site wasn't specified, Apple has established and is expanding an administrative campus in Austin, and manufacturing partner Foxconn has facilities in Houston.
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05/20, 5:16pm
Early trial production of device expected to start soon
Apple is testing 1.5-inch OLED touchscreens for use in its upcoming smartwatch, claims Taiwanese publication the Economic Daily News. Apple is in fact said to have tried 1.8-inch screens, but judged that they were too big. The 1.5-inch panels are reportedly being manufactured by Taiwan's RiTdisplay, and use one-glass-solution touch sensors, which should allow Apple to keep the watch thin.
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05/16, 7:30pm
Foxconn staff still overworked
Apple's biggest supplier, Hon Hai -- better known as Foxconn -- is continuing to break Chinese labor laws, according to a newly-published audit by the Fair Labor Association. The latest evaluation was conducted in January, and did find that Foxconn is complying with 98.3 percent of the 360 points of action the FLA and Apple initially agreed to. 70 out of 76 items that were pending in mid-2012 have been complied with.
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04/22, 9:57am
Could cost manufacturer up to $1.6 billion
Apple has returned a batch of millions of botched iPhones to its main manufacturing partner, Foxconn, a source at the latter company tells China Business. It's believed that anywhere between 5 and 8 million units were returned for various unspecified defects. As the cost to manufacture is estimated to be $200 per phone, Foxconn could be taking a loss of as much as $1.6 billion.
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04/16, 11:35pm
Hon Hai parent company of manufacturer Foxconn
Microsoft and Foxconn parent company Hon Hai have signed a worldwide patent licensing agreement that places the manufacturer underneath Microsoft's patent portfolio umbrella for devices running the Android and Chrome OS. The agreement covers patent usage in smartphones, tablets, and televisions. While specifics of the agreement are not available, Microsoft will reportedly receive royalties from Hon Hai under the agreement.
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04/15, 9:51am
Marks end to brief hiring freeze
Asian manufacturer Foxconn has resumed hiring at a plant in Zhengzhou, China in preparation for a new iPhone, a Bloomberg source says. The factory froze hiring in February, but has reportedly been hiring again for the past month to meet extra capacity demanded by Apple. The added workers are expected to build not only a new iPhone but also existing models.
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04/10, 10:29am
Company's fortunes linked closely to Apple products
Taiwan-based manufacturer Hon Hai -- better known under its lead brand Foxconn -- posted a 19 percent fall in sales year-over-year during the first quarter, Reuters reports. Revenue reached T$808.97 billion, a decline from T$1 trillion in Q1 2012, as well as the T$988.34 billion the company posted in Q4. The drop is being blamed on lower demand for the iPhone.
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04/01, 10:18am
Foxconn spokesperson denies any suicide attempts
There are conflicting accounts over attempted suicides at Foxconn's main manufacturing facility in Shenzhen, China. On Friday, initial reports indicated that two people had jumped off a building; several stories said that in all, three workers climbed to the top of building G14. One source suggests that the people were worried about their jobs. The company has seen lower orders in 2013, prompting it to find ways of shedding workers.
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