Tag - Foxconn
Rumor Roundup: repeat after us -- na ga ha pen
Really, rumor mongers? Really? WWDC's corpse is not even cold yet, and you're already walking back your weakest rumor by claiming it was going to be in there, but mean old Apple axed it? This is Standard Rumor Fizzle Excuse number two, right behind "delayed because of production problems." So let us be sure we have this right -- that dual camera lens you've been assuring us for months would be the lead visible difference in the otherwise-samey "iPhone 7," the one you showed us numerous mockups of, has been "cancelled" days before Foxconn cranks up the assembly to make 70 million of them for this fall because Apple just realized the technology is "immature?" Right. Sure.
Apple supplier Foxconn culls 60,000 workers for robots
Apple supplier Foxconn has dramatically slashed its workforce by 60,000 employees at its Kunshan factory in China, reports South China Morning Post. In their place, Foxconn has installed dozens of robots in order to automate aspects of the manufacturing process that previously required skilled manual labor. Incredibly, the number of workers slashed in one fell swoop took the total number of workers still employed at the factory down from 110,000 to just 50,000.
Microsoft moves to exit consumer smartphone business
Following the recent sale of the Nokia name and feature phone business to manufacturing partner Foxconn, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has announced the layoffs of 1,850 employees -- mostly former Nokia workers in Finland -- and the "streamlining" of the company's smartphone business, which will involve "focusing our efforts where we have differentiation -- with enterprises that value security, manageability, and our Continuum capability," according to a release.
Foxconn closing in on deal to build iPhone plant in India
Foxconn is said to be close to finalizing a deal to build a new iPhone manufacturing plant in India, reports The Economic Times of India. A close partner of Apple, Foxconn has been interested in opening a plant in the region for at least 12 months and has narrowed its search for suitable site in the state of Maharahstra. Once the deal is finalized, Foxconn will pour in $10 billion to build the plant, a process which will take a further 18 months after the signatures have dried on the deal.
Foxconn denies tax evasion accusations from 'Panama Papers' leak
A major leak from a law firm that suggests Foxconn has avoided paying as much as $22.86 billion in taxes has been strongly denied by the company. The major device assembler, known for putting together the iPhone along with other well-known products, has dismissed claims stemming from the "Panama Papers" leak that it was actively evading payment of taxes by making investments in Panama, an act many other prominent figures and companies have also been accused of performing.
Foxconn reportedly preparing Sharp for large scale AMOLED production
Foxconn may be preparing to develop its first AMOLED displays that could be used in a future version of the iPhone, according to a report. The acquisition of Sharp, which completed at the end of last month for a reduced $3.5 billion, is said to have been driven by Sharp's display manufacturing capabilities, with Foxconn apparently gearing the company up to prepare for large-scale production of AMOLED panels for potential use in iPhones.
Foxconn, Sharp leaders meet to try and salvage $6.2B takeover
The postponed takeover of Sharp by Foxconn has prompted the heads of both companies to meet, in order to smooth out issues in the 70 billion yen ($6.2 billion) deal. Foxconn founder Terry Gou will be in a meeting with Sharp CEO Kozo Takahashi in China today, with negotiations expected to concern the suddenly-surfacing list of liabilities that halted the deal at the 11th hour, and if there is anything either side can do to salvage the purchase.
Foxconn takeover of Sharp delayed over 'contingent liabilities'
Sharp has confirmed it has accepted a deal to be taken over by Foxconn, with the agreement said to be valued at approximately 700 billion yen ($6.2 billion). The purchase announcement may have been premature, as a report claims Foxconn, a major manufacturing partner for Apple, is delaying the final takeover agreement after receiving a list of "contingent liabilities" from Sharp that is worth half the deal's value.
Fire breaks out at Foxconn iPhone factory, no injuries reported
A fire at a Chinese factory used to manufacture iPhones has resulted in no injuries and has not affected production, according to a report. The Foxconn facility, located at Zhengzhou in Henan province, had to deal with a small fire on on the roof on Sunday night, though the manufacturer claims no employees were harmed by the incident and it was extinguished before it could affect any of the production lines underneath and nearby.
Briefly: iOS 9 Rubbish, Foxconn to buy Sharp LCD business?
In some countries, the upgrade to iOS 9 brings with it a particular but very minor change often wished for by non-US users: the independent trash located in Mail has picked up the more common (outside the US and Canada) name of "Rubbish" rather than "Trash." The company has also posted a support page for the Apple Watch that shows a list of friends accessible on the devices whose initials add up to a "rickroll" gag.
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Cirrus creates Lightning-headphone dev kit
Apple supplier Cirrus Logic has introduced a MFi-compliant new development kit for companies interested in using Cirrus' chips to create Lightning-based headphones, which -- regardless of whether rumors about Apple dropping the analog headphone jack in its iPhone this fall -- can offer advantages to music-loving iOS device users. The kit mentions some of the advantages of an all-digital headset or headphone connector, including higher-bitrate support, a more customizable experience, and support for power and data transfer into headphone hardware. Several companies already make Lightning headphones, and Apple has supported the concept since June 2014. http://bit.ly/29giiZj
Apple Store app offers Procreate Pocket
The Apple Store app for iPhone, which periodically rewards users with free app gifts, is now offering the iPhone "Pocket" version of drawing app Procreate for those who have the free Apple Store app until July 28. Users who have redeemed the offer by navigating to the "Stores" tab of the app and swiping past the "iPhone Upgrade Program" banner to the "Procreate" banner have noted that only the limited Pocket (iPhone) version of the app is available free, even if the Apple Store app is installed and the offer redeemed on an iPad. The Pocket version currently sells for $3 on the iOS App Store. [32.4MB]
Porsche adds CarPlay to 2017 Panamera
Porsche has added a fifth model of vehicle to its CarPlay-supported lineup, announcing that the 2017 Panamera -- which will arrive in the US in January -- will include Apple's infotainment technology, and be seen on a giant 12.3-inch touchscreen as part of an all-new Porsche Communication Management system. The luxury sedan starts at $99,900 for the 4S model, and scales up to the Panamera Turbo, which sells for $146,900. Other vehicles that currently support CarPlay include the 2016 911 and the 2017 models of Macan, 718 Boxster, and 718 Cayman. The company did not mention support for Google's corresponding Android Auto in its announcement. http://bit.ly/295ZQ94
Apple employees testing wheelchair features
New features included in the forthcoming watchOS 3 are being tested by Apple retail store employees, including a new activity-tracking feature that has been designed with wheelchair users in mind. The move is slightly unusual in that, while retail employees have previously been used to test pre-release versions of OS X and iOS, this marks the first time they've been included in the otherwise developer-only watchOS betas. The company is said to have gone to great lengths to modify the activity tracker for wheelchair users, including changing the "time to stand" notification to "time to roll" and including two wheelchair-centric workout apps. http://bit.ly/2955JDa
SanDisk reveals two 256GB microSDXC cards
SanDisk has introduced two 256GB microSDXC cards. Arriving in August for $150, the Ultra microSDXC UHS-I Premium Edition card offers transfer speeds of up to 95MB/s for reading data. The Extreme microSDXC UHS-I card can read at a fast 100MB/s and write at up to 90MB/s, and will be shipping sometime in the fourth quarter for $200. http://bit.ly/294Q1If
Apple's third-quarter results due July 26
Apple has advised it will be issuing its third-quarter results on July 26, with a conference call to answer investor and analyst queries about the earnings set to take place later that day. The stream of the call will go live at 2pm PT (5pm ET) via Apple's investor site, with the results themselves expected to be released roughly 30 minutes before the call commences. Apple's guidance for the quarter put revenue at between $41 billion and $43 billion. http://apple.co/1oi1Pbm
Twitter stickers slowly roll out to users
Twitter has introduced "stickers," allowing users to add extra graphical elements to their photos before uploading them to the micro-blogging service. A library of hundreds of accessories, props, and emoji will be available to use as stickers, which can be resized, rotated, and placed anywhere on the photograph. Images with stickers will also become searchable with viewers able to select a sticker to see how others use the same graphic in their own posts. Twitter advises stickers will be rolling out to users over the next few weeks, and will work on both the mobile apps and through the browser. http://bit.ly/29bbwUE
