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macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,523
30,817



foxconn_workers.jpg



China Daily reports (via Electronista) that Apple's manufacturing partner Foxconn is investing $1.1 billion to nearly double the size of a recently-opened iPhone manufacturing facility in Zhengzhou, China, banking on continued strong growth of iPhone sales.
The base will be centered on the Foxconn Science Park in Zhengzhou, provincial capital of Henan, increasing its current production lines to 95, said the Henan provincial development and reform commission during a conference.

The expansion plan, costing 7 billion yuan ($1.1 billion), is expected to bring $20 billion in sales revenue in 2012, the commission said.
The facility opened earlier this year and is already employing 130,000 workers and producing 200,000 iPhones per day. If the facility were running at full capacity seven days a week, it would be capable of producing 18 million iPhones per quarter.

A Bloomberg report from last week indicated that the city of Zhengzhou is working to help Foxconn add 100,000 workers to the facility this year, and a production boost in line with that workforce increase could see the factory yielding over 350,000 iPhones per day, or nearly 32 million per quarter.

Article Link: Foxconn Investing $1.1 Billion to Boost iPhone Production Capabilities
 

HarryKeogh

macrumors 6502a
Jun 25, 2008
609
863
Man, a lot of money to be made in iPhone production.

If I could figure out how to make iPhones out of my garage using stuff I find around the house I'll be rich.
 

Shrink

macrumors G3
Feb 26, 2011
8,929
1,727
New England, USA
That's a lot of folks who are employed. A definite plus for the people working there.

I hope some of that $20 billion finds it's way to the workers.
 

Caharin

macrumors member
Feb 21, 2010
30
0
Does that $1.1B include employee life insurance?

... sorry, I couldn't resist. I know, I'm going to hell.
 

DanielSw

macrumors 6502
Aug 31, 2009
400
209
Clearwater, FL
That's a lot of folks who are employed. A definite plus for the people working there.

I hope some of that $20 billion finds it's way to the workers.

The main reason iPhones are produced in China is that workers there are willing to work for the wages they get--that's WILLING, NOT forced. The main reason they're NOT made in the US is that workers here are too lazy and greedy and NOT WILLING to work ANYWHERE.

Oh, and it's "its" not "it's" in your last sentence.
 

marine0816

macrumors 6502a
Mar 11, 2011
699
632
USA
AWESOME, expanding modern day slave camps so us western people can stand hours in line for a cell phone. YEAH
 

The 801

macrumors newbie
Sep 27, 2010
13
0
Gonna need a lot of phones to supply the need of the recently opened chinese market.

Now all we have to do is figure out how to get the profits repatriated into the US.

And I believe the reason these phones are not made in the US is that they cannot be assembled by automation. They are designed for hand assembly. I have always thought it so odd for mass produced product.
 

skunk

macrumors G4
Jun 29, 2002
11,758
6,107
Republic of Ukistan
The main reason iPhones are produced in China is that workers there are willing to work for the wages they get--that's WILLING, NOT forced. The main reason they're NOT made in the US is that workers here are too lazy and greedy and NOT WILLING to work ANYWHERE.
Is that the broadest brush you could find? Maybe you should try a roller.
 

marine0816

macrumors 6502a
Mar 11, 2011
699
632
USA
The main reason iPhones are produced in China is that workers there are willing to work for the wages they get--that's WILLING, NOT forced. The main reason they're NOT made in the US is that workers here are too lazy and greedy and NOT WILLING to work ANYWHERE.

Oh, and it's "its" not "it's" in your last sentence.

yeah, lazy Americans won't work for $2 dollars an hour.. Damn we are so LAZY...
 

krFALCON

macrumors newbie
Aug 6, 2011
9
0
Rockford, IL
Can we stop investing in China???! Come on Apple!

It's not just Apple. It's not uncommon for electronics to be outsourced for cheap labor. It keeps production costs down and in turn, makes it more affordable for customers. I'm not saying it's a good thing, but should they decide to keep the production in-house, prices will likely skyrocket.
 

zoetmb

macrumors regular
Oct 8, 2007
158
8
The main reason iPhones are produced in China is that workers there are willing to work for the wages they get--that's WILLING, NOT forced. The main reason they're NOT made in the US is that workers here are too lazy and greedy and NOT WILLING to work ANYWHERE.

Oh, and it's "its" not "it's" in your last sentence.

Chinese workers are reported to get paid about $130 a month. $130 a month in the U.S. might not even cover your transportation costs to get to and from the factory, even if one used public transportation.

Aside from addicts, the mentally disturbed, the mentally disabled and people who dropped out of grade school, show me the stats that demonstrate that any substantial number of people in the U.S. refuse to work. The reality is that when there are job fairs and the like, thousands of people show up. Even in New York City, when the retailers hire for the Christmas season, I see hundreds to thousands lined up for the privilege of working for minimum wage.

The only jobs that Americans refuse to work are the farm jobs that immigrants were doing. Reports are they show up for a day and never come back. But that's back-breaking work for very little pay.

The main reason they're not made in the U.S. is that companies like Apple refuse to have a U.S. factory that pays even minimum wage as long as less expensive alternatives exist. And because the price of Apple's (or anyone's) products would probably have to triple if they were manufactured here, although to really analyze that, we'd have to know how much of the manufacturing cost is labor. Apple used to manufacture in the U.S. and later in Ireland. There was nothing wrong with either of those operatons - it was simply far less expensive to do it in China.
 

Consultant

macrumors G5
Jun 27, 2007
13,314
34
Can we stop investing in China???! Come on Apple!

Just about everything electronics is made in China due to China's labor price advantage.

Apple does invest in the US. Where do you think the R&D etc is done? Ever heard of the new Apple headquarters with its own power station?
 

lupado

macrumors newbie
Dec 8, 2011
14
0
Washington, DC
It's not just Apple. It's not uncommon for electronics to be outsourced for cheap labor. It keeps production costs down and in turn, makes it more affordable for customers. I'm not saying it's a good thing, but should they decide to keep the production in-house, prices will likely skyrocket.

Keep production costs down? Apple is one of the most valuable companies in the world because of how much profit they take from each item. Greed is what keeps them and other companies in China. Popularity will sell products. I'll pay and extra $100 for an iPad if they boost our economy and give my unemployed friend a job.
 

Kaibelf

Suspended
Apr 29, 2009
2,445
7,444
Silicon Valley, CA
Keep production costs down? Apple is one of the most valuable companies in the world because of how much profit they take from each item. Greed is what keeps them and other companies in China. Popularity will sell products. I'll pay and extra $100 for an iPad if they boost our economy and give my unemployed friend a job.

That's fine, but don't volunteer away MY $100.
 

Consultant

macrumors G5
Jun 27, 2007
13,314
34
I hope you realize $2 goes a lot farther in China than it does here. I know it's hard to grasp, but there's this amazing concept called the "exchange rate."

There is also the thing called cost of living, where decent meals can be bought for $1 in China
 

thetexan

macrumors 6502a
May 11, 2009
720
0
I find it funny that politicians blast oil companies who make around a 10% profit while they not only employee a lot of blue collar Americans but pay them exceptionally well while Apple seems to get a free pass making a 25% profit and outsourcing all of their blue collar labor.
 

carlgo

macrumors 68000
Dec 29, 2006
1,806
17
Monterey CA
Gonna need a lot of phones to supply the need of the recently opened chinese market.

Now all we have to do is figure out how to get the profits repatriated into the US.

And I believe the reason these phones are not made in the US is that they cannot be assembled by automation. They are designed for hand assembly. I have always thought it so odd for mass produced product.

The people are the robots in this case, but there are only minutes of hand labor in a phone. The labor issue is a red herring, despite the postings of the surrogates that magically appear every time the issue comes up.

The savings come from tax dodging, no pesky laws about dumping stuff in the river, no problems with dealing with any human issues. Just give them an order and in time containers full of iPhones appear.
 
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