The cover of the March 2011 edition of the popular WIRED magazine addresses the looming problem with Foxconn's employee treatment. If you didn't know, Foxconn is the manufacturer that makes the iPhones we buy.
Although the headline may appear a little melodramatic, the numbers are true and the issue is very real. We have gotten glimpses into the life of the Foxconn employees, and their working conditions are less than ideal...
Rumors about the iPhone 5 and iOS 4.3 have been running rampant lately. While a lot of "leaks" and speculation has been made about Apple's major upcoming version of iOS, not much has been said about the iPhone 5's hardware. All we've heard is a report from Engadget that the iPhone 5 will be a "total redesign" of the current version.
The mysterious device is rumored to have Apple's new A5 CPU processor, a universal baseband for all carriers, and a larger display with no home button. No specific launch date has been set, and apparently only the head honchos at Apple have access to iPhone 5 prototypes.
The iPhone 5 was rumored to have hit the testing stage back in October of 2010, so it's not a stretch to say that field testing units are in circulation at Cupertino. Apple has yet to divulge any direct information about the iPhone 5, but a new report claims that we won't be seeing a product launch before summer. That is, unless one gets left in a bar again...
The Global Times recently discovered that over 50,000 illegal iTunes accounts are being offered for purchase in China. Potential buyers are promised access to purchase iTunes content for free; amounting to seven times the amount paid.
Toaboa.com, China's largest consumer auction site, is offering hacked iTunes accounts with stolen credit card and contact information to potential customers. These accounts are registered by real people with real personal information, but this blatant form of organized crime has (so far) gone unpunished.
At prices of 1-200 yuan (about $30 a pop), these hacked accounts are distributed through the iTunes login credentials associated with the account's payment information...
There are plenty of fake iPhone knockoffs, like the HiPhone 4G. Apple has sued many manufacturers around the world for clearly cloning the iPhone or stealing some of its key features.
China has always been the largest hub of fake, knockoff gadgets. If you visit China, chances are you will find all the recent models of mobile phones cloned and selling at less than half their original prices. Because the iPhone's appeal is at a global level, it is becoming increasingly difficult for Apple to crack down on all of these little companies overseas that are creating knockoff iPhone models.
The Sophone is by far the best iPhone 4 knockoff of 2010. It didn't receive American coverage until late December, but the device has been a huge hit in China. It copies the iPhone 4 in almost every way imaginable. The way that the Sophone identically mirrors the iPhone 4 is unbelievable. You really have to see it to believe it...
Foxconn, the Chinese industrial giant, has been under the spotlight recently due to a string of suicides supposedly linked to the factory's awful working conditions. Foxconn is Apple's main supplier for product manufacturing; it's the place where our iPhones get made.
A french journalist and photographer, Jordan Pouille, recently revisited a large Foxconn facorty in Longhua, China. His visit was in tandem with a highly publicized pay raise for the factory's 300,000+ Chinese workers.
While it seems that the living conditions of these young workers (mostly teenagers or young 20-somethings) has improved since Foxconn's dehumanizing treatment of its employees was brought into the light, something still doesn't feel right about the way that our gadgets are being made...
You have to love the mind of the opportunist. Always lurking in the weeds just waiting to strike the opportunity at the chance of making some money. That's exactly what's going on over in Britain.
9 to 5 Mac reports that the folks across the pond are lining up to buy brand new iPhone 4s and then sell them back to China (where they are made), unlocked at a higher price. The same thing is happening in New York where the New York Times is quoted saying the following about the "grey" market back and forth:
The way we think of our electronic gear is amazing. We all want the latest and greatest as soon as possible and certainly as cheap as can be. However in order to get that accomplished it just so happens to take some unusually disturbing realities that some people call life.
I'm not holier than thou, in fact I own multiple devices from the very factory of focus here. Business Week took a visit of the place where our iPhones are built. They wanted to see how Foxconn headquarters were doing after their unpleasant suicide issue.
This is definitely going to make uncle Steve angry. TUAW reports that China Unicom is offering to jailbreak their customers iPhones directly from the very store they sell the devices from.
Apparently the staff will gladly hack the apparent iPhone 3GS devices (the iPhone 4 hasn't been released yet), or cut the SIM card down to fit the micro size on those who have opted to buy an iPhone 4 through alternative outlets. Some stores are even going as far as saying that they will show users how to download 3rd party applications. Wow.
It hasn't been long since we speculated that releasing the iPhone 4 so soon to the iPhone 3GS might not be the best business move for Chinese provider China Unicom. According to The Inquirer we were right on the money with our predictions and that China Unicom has reported an astounding 54% profit drop for the 2nd quarter.
It's appropriate to be clear about how Unicom ended up carrying Apple's iPhone in the first place. China Mobile is the top dog in chinese cell service with over 500 million customers. Consequently they weren't about to acquiesce to Steve Jobs and his stern business model, so they told Apple to take their iPhone and have a nice life...
It was just over a week ago that it was announced that China would be getting a Wi-Fi capable iPhone 3GS to sell to its masses. Apparently things are moving fast because Apple Insider reports that the world's largest market is set to receive the new iPhone 4 "in the beginning part of September". It doesn't stop there as it's reported that the enormous country will also be getting its version of the iPad.
China Unicom will be unveiling the two products on separate dates following the removal of a ban of Wi-Fi devices. On the surface, it would seem like poor strategy to release the new iPhone so soon after its predecessor, however Apple has keened in on the buying power of the Chinese population. Two stores currently reside there while 25 new stores are planned for the country in which the phone is assembled in.
Is this smart business from Apple? Does the market potential call for both devices at once, or will the competition within itself cause less than expected revenue? Give us your two pennies in the comment section.
I just read about Apple's new change in China, they are now offering unlocked phones there. The prices look like this:
HK$5,500 (≈ US$700) = 8GB model
HK$6,200 (≈ US$800) = 16GB
Who knows what the grey market might start selling now :) Have a nice autumn break for those of you who can still enjoy it.