Production

Alleged iPhone 5C manufacturer Jabil Circuit accused of labor abuses [updated]

Cody Lee ∙ September 5, 2013

China Labor Watch has released another critical report today on working conditions at an Apple supplier in China. This time, the news hits a little bit closer to home for the Cupertino company, as the activist organization has taken aim at a US-owned factory.

According to CLW, employees at a Chinese factory owned by Florida-based Jabil Circuit, which is reportedly manufacturing Apple's rumored iPhone 5C, are regularly forced to work excessively long hours without overtime pay, and given inadequate training...

Infographic: the iPhone supply and manufacturing chain

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 14, 2013

Because of its size, popularity and visibility, Apple is being increasingly scrutinized for outsourcing gadget assembly to Asian contract manufacturers.

Although Tim Cook has pledged to bring some of the manufacturing jobs back to the United States with the new 'Made In USA' Mac Pro, critics still slam the company for sourcing product components from Taiwanese vendors. Per usual, the truth is somewhere in the middle.

For example, while iPhone screens are made by Asian vendors, its cover glass is being manufactured in the US by Gorilla Glass in Kentucky. As for the chips, the engine that drives the iPhone is Apple's in-house design, fabbed by Samsung in Austin, Texas.

I stumbled upon a very nice infographic that details the source of the many iPhone components, including the speakers, vibration motor, rear earth metals and more, jump past the fold to have a look...

Apple allegedly shifting iMac production from Quanta to Pegatron

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 5, 2013

If a new report by the somewhat reliable DigiTimes is to be taken at face value, then Apple may shift production of its all-in-one iMac desktop from the current manufacturer Quanta to Pegatron. Now, Pegatron already builds older iPhones, has reportedly been commissioned to build Apple's rumored plastic iPhone and used to make iMacs.

Nowadays most iMac orders are being fulfilled by Quanta, which also assembles the majority of MacBook Air and MacBook Pro notebooks...

Foxconn reportedly hiring 90,000 workers to help with iPhone 5S production

Cody Lee ∙ July 30, 2013

A new report out of Taiwan this morning claims that Foxconn is going on a major hiring spree to help fill orders for Apple's next generation iPhone, believed to be the iPhone 5S. Production on the handset is said to be ramping up ahead of its fall launch.

Citing sources familiar with the matter, Taiwanese publication Focus Taiwan reports that Foxconn is starting to heavily recruit for its Shenzhen plant, and it's looking to add as many as 90,000 people to its workforce as it begins to fulfill major 5S orders...

Apple investigating claims of ‘serious’ labor rights violations at Pegatron

Cody Lee ∙ July 29, 2013

New York-based China Labor Watch has accused Apple manufacturing partner Pegatron of 'serious' labor violations this morning. In a new report out today, the organization claims the device-maker is committing of 86 labor rights violations in three of its factories.

Among the infractions listed in the filing are the employment of underage workers, insufficient employee wages, and poor working conditions. In all, the watchdog group says that it found Pegatron to be guilty of 36 legal infringements and 50 ethical infringements...

Rumor: Apple to discontinue iPhone 5 alongside budget, 5S launch

Cody Lee ∙ Updated September 4, 2013

A new report out of Korea today claims that Apple is going to be discontinuing production of the iPhone 5 this fall, transferring all of its efforts to its next generation flagship handset, the iPhone 5S, and the long-rumored 'budget iPhone.'

Citing 'industry partners' with knowledge of the situation, ETNews is reporting this afternoon that Apple has asked its supply chain partners to wind down iPhone 5 production. And, according to the report, it plans to halt it altogether this fall...

Foxconn to exclusively manufacture Apple’s iPad mini 2, rumor has it

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 27, 2016

As we sift through Apple's June quarter numbers and decipher vague hints suggesting a blockbuster Fall, rumors of a next-generation iPad mini continue to swirl. And where DigiTimes sees a Retina iPad mini in October, KGI's Ming-Chi Kuo sees a launch in March or April of 2014 given the battery and performance challenges stemming from driving a much smaller, thinner and lighter Retina display.

A pair of recent supply chain reports points to Apple commissioning Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. (aka Foxcon) with assembly of the second-generation iPad mini. The company is additionally said to have included new suppliers in the iPad supply chain...

DigiTimes: iPad mini with Retina display coming in October

Cody Lee ∙ July 19, 2013

The inexact DigiTimes is reporting this morning that the next-generation iPad mini will feature a Retina display, and is expected to be introduced in October. The report is in direct contradiction to the publication's own scoop from earlier this week.

On Monday, the Taiwanese outlet added to speculation that Apple was delaying the launch of its Retina iPad mini until 2014 due to panel shortages. But apparently, LG has made significant progress with its production, and it's back on track for the fall...

New report says fingerprint sensor causing iPhone 5S production issues

Cody Lee ∙ July 16, 2013

The ever-controversial DigiTimes is reporting this morning that Apple's upcoming flagship handset, believed to be the iPhone 5S, could be in short supply when it launches later this year. It seems that its fingerprint sensor is causing production issues.

Though we've yet to see any physical evidence to support the theory, we've heard a number of reports over the past few months claiming Apple has used its new AuthenTec technology to build a fingerprint sensor into (or underneath) the 5S Home button...

Analyst says mass production of iPhone 5S to start this month

Cody Lee ∙ July 15, 2013

According to Peter Misek, Apple will begin mass production of its next flagship smartphone, believed to be the iPhone 5S, later this month. The Jefferies analyst issued a note to investors this morning saying that the handset will launch in late September or early October.

Misek's report comes hot on the heels of a story from Chinese Business News claiming that Foxconn has restarted mass-hiring assembly line workers in the Chinese mainland to prepare for 5S production. It too said Apple was preparing for an early to mid-fall introduction...

Supply of touch sensitive coating used on iPhones is dwindling

Cody Lee ∙ July 12, 2013

Bad news for smartphone and tablet makers. It seems that the coating used to make devices like the iPhone touch sensitive is beginning to run scarce, and could completely disappear from the planet within the next decade or so.

The transparent material is called indium tin oxide, and it's used to sense when a finger makes contact with a smartphone's display. And apparently the situation is so bad that industry experts are rushing to find an alternative...

Foxconn said to be hiring workers to build next-gen iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ July 10, 2013

According to a new report, Foxconn—Apple's go-to manufacturing partner for many of its iOS devices—has begun hiring workers to help it produce the next-generation iPhone. A recruiting firm that works with the company has reportedly started large-scale recruitment.

The boost in hiring makes sense, as recent reports suggest that Apple has begun ramping up production of its next-gen handset ahead of what is expected to be a fall launch. We saw a similar bolster in Foxconn's workforce ahead of the iPhone 5's launch last summer...