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News tagged ‘Foxconn’
Foxconn employee says Apple placing orders for next iPhone to debut in October
South Korea's Maeil Business Newspaper reports that the head of human resources at one Foxconn factory gave the info claiming that Apple has recently placed an order for its sixth-generation iPhone that is on schedule to launch in October of 2012.
"We just got the order," the Foxconn human resources head reportedly told the newspaper. "[The release] will be around October."
Focxonn has posted many hiring notices recently. Such fact suggests that Focxonn enlarges its staff preparing for mass production of Apple’s new devices, presumably, the sixth-generation iPhone.
Apple's television set could be called "iPanel"
Analyst Peter Misek with Jefferies said he has "enough confidence" that the Apple's anticipated television set will be launching in the fourth quarter of calendar 2012 and will be "far more than a TV”.
He said the name "iPanel" would be better for the product than "iTV," as the term TV gives a limited impression of what the rumored device will be able to do.
"It is a display, gaming center, media hub, computer, home automator, etc.," Misek said in justifying the "iPanel" name. "Also, Apple would likely have difficulty getting naming rights from the UK TV network ITV."
Apple may soon begin selling iPad 2 units built in Brazil
According to a tipster who spoke with MacRumors, Apple may start selling the Brazilian-built iPad 2 soon, because the locally assembled 16-gigabyte iPad 2, which sells for $399 in the U.S., has received the proper certification to go on sale in Brazil.
The Brazil-built iPad 2 units are expected to be available alongside regular units built in China, also by Foxconn. Apple's new third-generation Retina display iPad has apparently not yet received approval for sale, whether assembled in Brazil or China.
Apple And Foxconn's Agreement Will Raise Bar For Working Conditions In China
Yesterday Fair Labor Association the results of its investigation into three Foxconn facilities. The inspection has revealed a number of violations of the labor law, and following FLA’s recommendations Apple and Foxconn have agreed to bring overtime and working hours in line with the Chinese legal limit of 36 per month and 49 per week. Also Foxconn will hire thousands of new workers and provide a compensation package to ensure employee’s salaries remain at the same level amid reduced overtime and working hours.
Analyst Speculation Points to 2013 for Launch of Apple Television Set
Hong Kong-based research firm CLSA suggests that Apple's much-rumored television set is likely to debut in 2013 rather than the late 2012. CLSA also claims that Foxconn's investment in Sharp is likely to speed up development and launch of an Apple television.
We continue to view Apple TV hardware as a 2013 event.
The timing of Hon Hai/Foxconn's equity stake and partnership with Sharp along with Hon Hai Chairman Terry Gou's separate 46.5% investment in Sharp's Sakai City plant lends further credibility that Apple TV is in the works. This also follows reports that Apple is investing ~$1.3bn in equipment destined for Sharp facilities.
Apple CEO Tim Cook Tours Foxconn iPhone Production Facility in China
Carolyn Wu, a spokeswoman for the Cupertino, Calif., company, told Bloomberg in an e-mail on Thursday that Apple CEO Tim Cook visited an iPhone production line at a Foxconn plant in Zhengzhou, China to discuss "intellectual-property issues and greater cooperation."
"China is very important to us and we look forward to even greater investment and growth here," the company said.
The executive's visit to an iPhone production line comes as Apple has come under fire for working conditions at its suppliers' factories. Different reports claimed that Apple is aware of rights abuses for years without doing anything about them. Cook, however, said in a letter to employees: "We care about every worker in our worldwide supply chain."
Apple rumored to be secretly shipping 'iPad 3' as Best Buy cuts iPad 2 by $50
Meijer, a regional big-box retailer in the U.S., slashed the price of the 16GB iPad 2 with Wi-Fi by $70, and Best Buy has begun offering $50 off every iPad 2 model. These facts could, however, suggest that Foxconn is already preparing to ship the device's third-generation successor to Apple in the United States.
The alleged secret shipments from Foxconn were revealed in a shipping manifest from Apple.pro revealed this weekend, which shows a series of shipments scheduled to begin delivery in the U.S. no later than March 9. The mystery orders arriving from Chengdu, China, are said to be under high security. A source from Foxconn's Chengdu plant reportedly indicated that the shipment is for "Apple's latest products."
Apple Now Selling Brazilian-Made iPhone 4
Apple’s efforts to diversify iPhone and iPad manufacturing locations and make the devices more affordable in the world's fifth most populous country by eliminating high import taxes has resulted in moving production into Brazil where Foxconn built its factory. The factory has already begun manufacturing the iPhone and Apple has indeed begun selling the Brazilian-made 8 GB iPhone 4 through its online store in that country.
The iPhone 4S and 8 GB iPhone 4 debuted in Brazil in mid-December, but early models were manufactured in China and carried very high pricing with the iPhone 4S starting at the equivalent of over $1400. With exchange rate fluctuations that figure is now over $1500, while the cheaper 8 GB iPhone 4 still comes in at a hefty $1050. The unlocked iPhone 4 is priced at $549 in the United States.
Apple production line shows iPhone is basically handmade
ABC's Nightline special episode offered an inside look at Apple’s supply chain revealing that the iPhone, with 141 separate steps that go into its production, is practically a handmade device, while an iPad takes five days and passes through 325 hands during production. Foxconn manages to produce 300,000 camera modules for the iPad daily.
Apple granted reporter Bill Weir permission to go inside Foxconn's factories to see the working conditions as its products were being made for the 30-minute broadcast. However, initial response to the story was that it revealed hardly anything new about the situation.
Apple opening up supplier factories to third-party environmental inspections
Many independent environmental groups seek to verify Apple’s own findings related to working conditions on its supplier factories and they finally got Apple's permission. The company will open up its supplier factories to third-party environmental inspections in order to cooperate on audits.
Ma Jun, founder of the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs, said in an interview that Apple had agreed late last month to open up its facilities to address reports from IPE and other groups outing suspected Apple suppliers as polluters. The audits could start as early as next month and may eventually expand to other suppliers.
Foxconn’s Working Conditions Are Far Better Than The Norm
Reuters on Fair Labor Association’s initial impressions as it conducts its independent audit of working conditions at Foxconn's manufacturing facilities at Apple’s request.
According to the Auret van Heerden, the president of Fair Labor Association, Foxconn’s manufacturing facilities seems to be "first-class" compared to the garment factories which are typically monitored by the association. He also suggests that boredom and monotony connected with repetitive assembly tasks might be among the main threats to employees’ health at the facilities.
Apple Forces Pegatron Into Ceasing Production of ASUS Zenbooks
Digitimes, one of the major Apple’s manufacturing partners Pegatron has ceased production of ASUS’ over pressure from Apple. Digitimes notes that Apple is displeased with similarities in design between MacBook Air and Zenbooks and asked Pegatron to stop production of these notebooks or it will lose orders for manufacturing of iOS devices.
Fair Labor Association Begins Inspecting Foxconn Facilites At Apple’s Request
Last month it was reported that Apple and Fair Labor Association (FLA) reached an agreement that would see FLA inspecting working conditions in companies within Apple’s supply chain and providing independent estimate to ensure compliance with standards set by the FLA and by Apple. Apple’s decision to join the FLA and become the first technology company in that organization was driven by the increasing criticism of Foxconn’s working conditions and treatment of its employees.
Foxconn's Servers Hacked, Exposing Vendor Usernames and Passwords
Swagg Security hacking group announced this week that they managed to hack Foxconn servers that expose usernames and passwords for clients and employees. Such information could be used to place fraudulent orders for companies like Apple and Microsoft.
Swagg Security alleged that it had bypassed Foxconn's firewall "almost flawlessly." Using several hacking techniques and a couple of days time, the hackers reportedly dumped "most of everything of significance," including usernames and passwords. According to the group, the leaked passwords "could allow individuals to make fraudulent orders under big companies like Microsoft, Apple, IBM, Intel, and Dell."
CNN Interviewed Current iPad Assembler About Working Conditions At Foxconn
After The New York Times reported on the working condition of major Apple’s contract manufacturer Foxconn in China, other publications have been conducting their own investigations to find out more information. Today, CNN a video from a journalist Stan Grant who recently held an interview with the current employee of Foxconn and assembler of iPad display:
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