Production

Foxconn managers arrested for allegedly accepting bribes

Cody Lee ∙ January 23, 2014

According to a new report, Taiwan police officers have arrested around a dozen managers at Foxconn on suspicion of soliciting several million in bribes from iPhone parts suppliers. Vendors reportedly had to pay 2.5% in kickbacks and other off-the-books fees to secure orders.

The group of arrested employees includes some pretty high-level Foxconn executives like Deng Zhixian, director general for Foxconn's committee of surface mount technology, and retired senior vice president Liao Wancheng, who police think was the mastermind of the scheme...

Apple now hiring engineers for Arizona sapphire glass plant

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 14, 2014

It was confirmed back in November that Apple has secured multi-year supply of sapphire cover glass by prepaying north of $500 million towards the purchase of sophisticated furnaces that will churn out the protective material on an industrial scale.

The material production would be handled by a company called GT Advanced at a plant in Mesa, Arizona that would create 2,000 U.S. jobs. The iPhone maker has now begun hiring engineers for the Mesa plant for the positions that specifically mention iPhone and iPod manufacturing...

Apple’s iWatch project reportedly plagued by screen, battery problems

Cody Lee ∙ Updated February 27, 2018

A new report is out this afternoon claiming that Apple is experiencing multiple problems with its long-rumored 'iWatch' project. The company is said to be troubled by challenges related to the device's screen technology, battery life, and manufacturing.

The device, believed to be a smartwatch of sorts, is expected to be Apple's first big entry into the budding wearables space. It's said to feature a display of up to 2-inches, and run a version of iOS capable of communicating with both iPhones and iPads...

Retina iPad mini production bottlenecks easing

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 27, 2013

It looks like Apple's suppliers and manufacturers in Taiwan in China are finally catching up with demand. First we learned that Foxconn is finally ramping up iPhone 5s production, with handset ship times being lowered earlier this week to three to five days for online orders.

And now, despite the initial rumors of shortages concerning the new iPad mini with Retina display it would appear that production bottlenecks are easing quickly, with the Cupertino company reportedly having ordered a total of nearly four million Retina iPad minis in the month of November...

WSJ: Foxconn ramping up iPhone 5s production

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Yesterday we reported that online iPhone 5s availability had improved, with shipping estimates lowered to 3-5 days. Now, this newfound inventory could be the result of greater production yields, lower demand, or both.

But according to The Wall Street Journal, it's likely the former. The news outlet is reporting this morning that Foxconn has boosted production capacity for the iPhone 5s, at the expense of the 5c, at the request of Apple...

New panels from AU Optronics may hint at upcoming 4K Apple displays

Cody Lee ∙ November 26, 2013

The new Mac Pro, which Apple first introduced at WWDC, is capable of driving up to 3 4K displays simultaneously. This is something the company has mentioned several times, leading to speculation that it has a 4K-flavored display on the way.

Although such a product hasn't materialized yet, some new evidence has surfaced this week that could indicate it's still on the way. Apparently, Apple supplier AUO is currently making 27-inch and 33-inch 4K thunderbolt-compatible display panels...

Apple reportedly taps Quanta for late-2014 iPad Maxi and iWatch mass production

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 25, 2013

Quanta Computer, an Apple supplier mainly responsible for assembly work concerning computers like the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, may have been tasked with building Apple's two next big things, a rumored health/fitness wearable device and an assumed big screen iPad.

The company and its Fremont, California plant are listed on Apple's Supplier Responsibility Page as a final assembler for Macs and now the notoriously hit-and-miss DigiTimes is reporting that Quanta has inked a deal to product the so-called iPad Maxi for the late-2014, in addition to iWatch production for the second half of next year...

Foxconn looking to invest $40 million in new US plant

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

As part of its ongoing efforts to expand its North American operations, Foxconn is looking to invest over $40 million over the next two years building a high-tech manufacturing facility in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Bloomberg is reporting this week that the company, which counts Apple as its largest client, will spend $30 million on the new plant and $10 million in research and development at Carnegie Mellon University...

Apple reportedly shaking up supply chain to preserve more profits

Cody Lee ∙ November 20, 2013

Apple has long been known for its supply chain prowess, mostly thanks to one man: Tim Cook. Before taking over the CEO position in 2011, Cook was the company's chief operating officer and oversaw a number of successful product rollouts that garnered impressive profits.

But according to a new report, the iPad-maker isn't resting on its laurels. Apple is apparently adjusting its supply chain model from having OEMs being responsible for both component procurement and production, to purely production, as it moves to raise its product margins...

Rumor: Foxconn’s Zhengzhou plant stops iPhone 5c production

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated August 4, 2016

The world's top contract manufacturer, Taiwan-based Foxconn, is responsible for approximately one-third of total iPhone 5c volume and now the company is allegedly winding down handset production at its factory in Zhengzhou, northern China, and shifting capacity to the flagship iPhone 5s, according to "industry sources" who spoke to DigiTimes, an industry publication with a mixed track record.

The story somewhat corroborates last week's article by a Chinese blog which said another iPhone 5c manufacturer, Pegatron, slashed iPhone 5c production significantly because the flagship iPhone 5s was selling better to early adopters than the iPhone 5c, which is basically the last year's iPhone 5 repackaged in colorful cases...

Bloomberg details Apple’s sophisticated robots and production machinery

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

'Gadgets that build gadgets' should have been the headline of the Bloomberg piece which details Apple's multi-billion dollar investments in custom-engineered manufacturing equipment, machines and robots which dutifully churn out your shiny new iPads and iPhones with their diamond-cut chamfered edges, precision crafted down to the micron.

'The Rolex of smartphones' is impossible to mass-produce using the existing tooling and manufacturing techniques. Because Apple custom-designs everything, it shouldn't surprise you that it also designs its own manufacturing processes, techniques and cutting-edge production equipment.

Just how does the company utilize its billions on these pricey robots?

The harsh realities of getting a job in Apple’s supply chain

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 7, 2013

Current CEO Tim Cook under Steve Jobs used to run Apple's vast network of suppliers and contract manufacturers and has largely been credited with turning the company into a well-oiled money-printing machine. But making sure trains run on time involves the incredible complexities associated with hiring tens of thousands of workers - and fast, too - who tediously assemble iPhones and iPads in factories located in China and Taiwan.

Apple and its manufacturing partners have been taking a lot of heat over worker treatment in these sweatshops so the iPhone maker eventually started tracking the work hours of 1+ million supply chain workers and took other proactive measures to ensure fair hiring.

But now, another issue is making headlines: the inhumane treatment of would-be employees by employment brokers who take high advance fees from workers and their families, contrary to Apple's rules. Read on...