Macotakara points to a report this morning from TV Tokyo's World Business Satellite. The TV show recently conducted an interview with a Foxconn personnel recruiter who had some interesting things to say about the next iPhone.
According to the blog, the recruiter told the news program that Foxconn is in the midst of a major hiring binge to prepare itself for production of Apple's upcoming handset — a device, that he says, will be launching in June...
Following yesterday's findings of the Fair Labor Association’s investigation into Apple’s supply chain, a report out this morning claims Foxconn workers are now concerned about their work hours being cut because they think the move will lead to lower wages.
Per FLA’s recommendations, Foxconn and Apple have reduced excessive work times to 49 hours a week, including overtime. The two partners have also tweaked salaries, a move they claim ensures workers don't earn less amid reduced working hours.
But despite these long-overdue policy changes being put in place, Foxconn workers are not entirely convinced...
Today, the Fair Labor Association published its highly anticipated report on the working conditions inside Foxconn's factories. Apple joined the FLA earlier this year amidst an onslaught of criticism that it was neglecting its supplier responsibilities.
We've heard horror stories about what goes on inside the facilities where our iPhones and iPads are made — most of which depicted a sweatshop-like atmosphere with underaged workers. But the FLA's report paints a different picture...
On Monday, we told you that Tim Cook was taking his first tour of China as Apple's CEO. Although we've heard some gossip about Cook's intentions for the visit, the nature of the trip is still somewhat of a mystery.
Well Apple helped fill in a couple of blanks for us this morning, as it told Bloomberg that the CEO spent part of his time in China visiting Foxconn's new Zhengzhou manufacturing plant...
Now the new iPad is here, attentions have begun to turn to Apple's next big thing. While it is true that the iPhone 5, or more likely the "New iPhone" will be that device, the proposed Apple Television is the thing that we are all getting excited about.
There are plenty of things we don't know yet about what Apple has up its sleeve. In fact, it's true that we know absolutely nothing for certain. As is so often the case, we are running on rumors and guesswork right now, not least when it comes to a potential release date.
The latest rumors surround just that, with Business Insider reporting that the Apple Television will debut in 2013...
Japanese electronics maker Sharp said today it will form a strategic global manufacturing partnership with Foxconn parent Hon Hai Precision Industry Co that will see the latter take eleven percent ownership in the former. In a nutshell, an assembly company has just purchased a stake in a manufacturer.
Things get really interesting knowing that Hon Hai's Foxconn is Apple's long-standing manufacturing partner producing iPhones, iPads and Mac notebooks, but also PlayStation 3s, Xbox 360s and a host of other consumer electronics products for Western companies.
On the other hand, Sharp is currently on Apple's list of supply chain partners and has allegedly produced 2.71 million Retina display panels for the new iPad, with plans to ramp up production in the second quarter. This strategic partnership should also help Foxconn and Sharp together battle LG and Samsung for Apple orders.
The China Morning News is reporting that Foxconn, Apple's goto manufacturing partner, is currently in the middle of a significant hiring binge. The company hopes to increase numbers by 20,000 at its Taiyuan plant in Northern China.
According to the report, the push is in preparation for the production of the next-generation iPhone. The handset isn't expected to hit the market until later this year, but Foxconn is said to have already received orders from Apple...
In wake of numerous reports on the poor working conditions at some of the factories in its supply chain, Apple erected a new section of its website entitled "Supplier Responsibility."
The page includes a number of resources, including monthly reports showing the company's progress. And according to the latest update, working conditions are already improving...
The controversial topic surrounding inhumane working conditions at Foxconn plants (often likened to sweatshops) has entered a new phase as monologuist Mike Daisey backtracks on his unpleasant claims, now admitting they were partly fabricated from sensationalist news reports.
As you might recall, the whole thing gained traction as the New York Times published a lengthy piece on the conditions of Apple’s supply chain in China. Other mainstream outlets immediately picked up the story as consumer groups began demanding an ethical iPhone. The public backlash also pushed Apple to list its suppliers for the first time. CEO Tim Cook dismissed the allegations as "patently fales", insisting that "We care about every worker in our worldwide supply chain."
Now, as the popular NPR radio program This American Life retracted their story based on Daisey's highly acclaimed show “The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs”, the monologuist ran a post on his personal blog this morning basically saying that even though he spiced up his original report, the basic premise on workers' plight in China sweatshops still holds true...
Apple has been the subject of much ire and speculation over its perceived lack of support for the United States and its scarcity of jobs, but now the company is hitting back with a few choice numbers it believes shows that the opposite is in fact, true.
Apple notoriously gets all its products from Foxconn in China, with Brazil now also becoming a source for all those devices with an Apple logo on the back. This has led to Apple being on the receiving end of much bad press over labor conditions at Foxconn's factories as well as the question being raised of why doesn't Apple build its products on US soil.
But as Apple is keen to point out, the iPhone and iPad maker does actually have its fingers in many US-based pies, creating and sustaining over 500,000 jobs in the process...
We've been talking about Foxconn's new Brazilian factory for several months now. The plant is not only expected to help the manufacturer meet overwhelming demand for iPads and iPhones, but also make the devices cheaper for Latin American customers.
Due to outrageous import taxes, the two-year old iPhone 4 costs a staggering $1000 in Brazil. And the iPhone 4S is nearly $1500. Apple fans in the country are hoping that those prices will drop substantially, now that Foxconn is making them in Brazil...
In a special edition of ABC's Nightline program last night, correspondent Bill Weir traveled to Apple's main manufacture, Foxconn, to get an inside look at working conditions inside of the plant. During the program, Weir showed workers working on the assembly line, the dormitories they live in, and more.
Apple, Foxconn, and the FLA have today released statements to ABC regarding a few of the things said during last night's program. Apple responded to a claim one worker made, after she said that she carves the aluminum shavings from 6,000 iPad logos per day...