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Apple Returns 5-8 Million Defective iPhones to Foxconn?

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,469
30,689



iphone_5_lte-250x215.jpg
According to reports over the weekend from China Business [Google translation] and China Times [Google translation], Apple last month returned at least five million and perhaps as many as eight million iPhones to manufacturing partner Foxconn due to defects in either appearance or operation.

The reports indicate that it will cost Foxconn roughly 200 yuan ($32) per device to correct the issues with the defective iPhones, resulting in a charge of as much as 1.6 billion yuan ($259 million) to address the problem. It is unclear which iPhone models are affected by the issues, but Apple does not appear to be suffering from major shortages of any of its current devices.

The iPhone 5 suffered from quality control issues following its launch, with a number of customers complaining of scratches and other issues with their devices even right out of the box. Foxconn executives acknowledged that the iPhone 5 was a difficult device to assemble, with increased quality control standards contributing to production output below the company's goals.

As a result, it took Apple two and a half months to achieve supply-demand balance for the device, although the company was also pursuing its most aggressive worldwide rollout yet.

Article Link: Apple Returns 5-8 Million Defective iPhones to Foxconn?
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2013/04/22/apple-returns-5-8-million-defective-iphones-to-foxconn/
S

sixthdimension

macrumors member
Jul 20, 2010
32
30
Indianapolis, IN
I just got a black 5 last weekend and I've noticed the headphone jack is crooked. I'd take it back if I didn't think that I would just get another one with the same issue.
 
C

Chuck-Norris

macrumors 6502a
Sep 17, 2012
850
1
both my ipad mini and iphone had some sort of tiny nick, hariline scratch, especially on the shamfer edge and i went through like 6 of them for both devices. i swear you cannot find a perfect perfect one but i ended up with one i as satisfied with
 
GoCubsGo

GoCubsGo

macrumors Nehalem
Feb 19, 2005
35,741
153
"Apple Returns 5-8 Million Defective iPhones to Foxconn?"

Are you asking us or telling us? Yes, the rumor is they did return defective units according to a translated article from China Business. :D
 
I

imgonephishin

macrumors regular
Jan 3, 2003
141
0
I mean, I'm glad that Apple takes the customer experience enough to force their suppliers to get things right, but still, how does stuff like this happen at this stage in the game? This story comes right on the heels of news that production difficulties were pushing the launch of the 5S back several months. If there are problems that significant for a minor phone upgrade, what happens with a complete redesign for the iPhone 6? Come on, Apple, get your house in order!
 
DipDog3

DipDog3

macrumors 65816
Sep 20, 2002
1,191
812
Is the media reporting every rumor about Apple as fact?

Another anonymous source from some translated foreign news service.

No credibility at all....
 
iGrip

iGrip

macrumors 68000
Jul 1, 2010
1,626
0
This just goes to show that Tim Cook is the MASTER of the supply chain.
 
T

TWSS37

macrumors 65816
Feb 4, 2011
1,107
232
Stay strong, Foxconn slav, er, workers. Don't take this personally and take drastic measures.
 
Krazy Bill

Krazy Bill

macrumors 68030
Dec 21, 2011
2,985
3
More importantly... exactly "who" sat down and visually inspected 8 million iPhones? :eek: Most likely the OSX coders since they are working on nothing else and have time to spare.
 
H

HarryKeogh

macrumors 6502a
Jun 25, 2008
609
863
Apple Inc.: I'd like to return these 8 million iPhones.

Foxconn: What's the problem?

Apple Inc.: There's a tiny scratch on some of them, a dead pixel on others...y'know, it's just when you spend several billion dollars you want them perfect.

Foxconn: Gotcha, let me talk to the manager and we'll see what we can do.

10 minutes later...

Foxconn: We can't exchange them but how about a $300,000,000 iTunes gift card?
 
R

Ralf The Dog

macrumors regular
May 1, 2008
192
0
This is part of why, long term cost might be less if they moved manufacturing back to the United States. The main reason, they will not? They want to sell more stuff in China. Longer term, I don't know if China is as cool of a market as everyone thinks.
 
jrswizzle

jrswizzle

macrumors 603
Aug 23, 2012
6,107
129
McKinney, TX
Krazy Bill said:
More importantly... exactly "who" sat down and visually inspected 8 million iPhones? :eek: Most likely the OSX coders since they are working on nothing else and have time to spare.
Click to expand...

Aren't the OSX engineers working on iOS right now to get it ready for the summer?

I know many love to rant about how they went through a dozen iPhones and couldn't find a perfect one, but both mine and my wife's were flawless when we got them.....

For every loud, unhappy iPhone user, there are hundred's of thousands of quite, satisfied users with no issue. Just remember that folks.
 
A

AndyMulhearn

macrumors member
Oct 8, 2006
99
0
Ralf The Dog said:
This is part of why, long term cost might be less if they moved manufacturing back to the United States. The main reason, they will not? They want to sell more stuff in China. Longer term, I don't know if China is as cool of a market as everyone thinks.
Click to expand...

I suppose one question that could be asked is what makes you think the quality of US-based workers would actually be any better or suffer fewer defects?
 
AppleScruff1

AppleScruff1

macrumors G4
Feb 10, 2011
10,026
2,949
8 million defective phones returned and no supply problem created. Does this mean that sales aren't strong?
 
B

BMNB1tch

macrumors regular
Jan 20, 2009
135
0
wow so much for quality control :(

maybe they should automate the construction

rather than having rotten builds from slave labor
 
O

orthorim

Suspended
Feb 27, 2008
733
350
Chuck-Norris said:
both my ipad mini and iphone had some sort of tiny nick, hariline scratch, especially on the shamfer edge and i went through like 6 of them for both devices. i swear you cannot find a perfect perfect one but i ended up with one i as satisfied with
Click to expand...

Got a perfect one on my 3rd try. Of course meanwhile, several head on collisions with tiled floors later, it's not perfect anymore. But it was when I got it.
1 - Perfect case, but WiFi not working
2 - Small ding on the chamfered edge, returned in the store
3 - Perfect

It still has pretty bad battery life - certainly seems worse than the iPhone 4 - but I have come to believe that's normal for the iPhone 5. I with they'd made it a millimeter thicker and given it some more battery.
 
M

MattMJB0188

macrumors 68020
Dec 28, 2009
2,032
583
I am glad I helped contribute towards this. I returned at least 30 iphone 5s. All had some sort of issue out of the box. I officially gave up and will be moving onto the Galaxy S4.
 
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