Apple Supplier Ramps Up Hiring for iPhone 14 Production Amid Delay Fears

[Mr. Dee]

If the iPhone was made in the US it would probably cost 12 grand and come with missing parts and all you would hear about is workers complaining they would prefer to build the iPhone from home. 😆

 

[_Spinn_]

I suspect that supply issues will continue for quite awhile.

 

[2540497]

I thought the diversified the supply chain?

 

[citysnaps]

That begs the question, why doesn't Apple makes their phones in the U.S to avoid the problems with the Middle Man (Foxconn), and avoid more lockdowns when the virus has another wave?

Where in the US can 190,000 iPhones be manufactured, tested, QC'd, and fulfilled every day of the year?

 

[hugodrax]

Where in the US would suggest Apple go to find the required skilled human resources that can handle the logistics of parts sourcing/inventory, manufacturing, test, and fulfillment of 190,000 iPhones per day. And can quickly ramp volumes up and down on a moment's notice? And do all that at the quality level Apple and its customers demand?

Always the same old story to distract and fool the masses. How did Apple find so many people to work in the new India plant that will be built or I heard Brazil as well.

Time to start investing in our country and future generations. Starting today is a good time as any.

We used to build lots of things even send people to the moon etc.

 

[svish]

Hopefully no delays for the launch of iPhone 14 series this year!

 

[DeepIn2U]

I thought production usually starts around by end of June?

Apple Begins Preparation for iPhone 13 Production Ahead of Fall Launch

We're just a few months away from when Apple is expected to reveal the 2021 iPhone, dubbed the "iPhone 13." In preparation for its...

www.macrumors.com

Dates have fluctuated over the years.

iPhone 6: 2nd qtr (up to June by Calendar unsure fIscal qtr time)

Apple's Manufacturing Partner Starts Preparing for iPhone 6 Production

Apple supplier Pegatron is expected to start production on the iPhone 6 in the second quarter of this year at its new Kunshan, China plant, reports...

www.macrumors.com

iPhone 7: May

iPhone 7 Production Starts, Standard, Plus, and Pro Models Prepared

Apple reportedly sent the iPhone 7 to production facilities

news.softpedia.com

iPhone 8:

iPhone 8 Production May Start Earlier Than Usual

Apple may start production of the iPhone 8 earlier than expected, according to information gathered by BlueFin Research Partners and shared by...

www.macrumors.com

iPhone X: early April supposedly

Foxconn Reportedly Preparing to start Production Trials of iPhone X Models in India later this Quarter

Patently Apple posted a report in late December 2018 titled "Foxconn will Reportedly Expand its Current Plant in India to Manufacture Higher-End iPhones as early as 2019." Today we're learning that Foxconn is on track and may begin production trials of higher end iPhone models later this quarter.

www.patentlyapple.com

iPhone 11: July

Apple starts manufacturing flagship iPhone 11 model at Chennai plant

Sources said this could be the beginning of a new era for Apple, which is preparing to begin manufacturing its newly launched iPhone SE (2nd Generation) of handsets in India

wap.business-standard.com

iPhone 12: June

Apple supply chain gearing up for 'iPhone 12' production in July

Industry sources claim that Apple's flagship iPhone production schedule is starting up soon, with production of the "iPhone 12" starting a bit later than normal in July.

appleinsider.com

 

[CarlJ]

Foxconn in one factory have up to 350,000 workers

Like to see if Apple production is in the USA we can get 5,000 people show up for work, work 10+ hrs. 6 days a week.

This is the problem. China can/has concentrated positively enormous amounts of factories and workers in some cities like Shenzhen, with hundreds of thousands of workers willing and able to work there. No city in the USA could currently offer this capacity to Apple. It's not just a matter of building an Apple factory, it's a matter of making an entire purpose built city around it - if what you want is a US Apple factory complex like the ones in China.

I don't think most people really comprehend how vast the production capability is - a quick google search suggests Apple made around 233 million iPhones in 2021. If you keep the factory running 7 days a week, that's well over half a million phones every day (638k phones a day, actually, so closer to 2/3 million a day). And that's every single day. You've got to get the parts delivered for today's half million phones (well, likely those are in nearby county-sized warehouses and what's delivered today are parts for next week's phones), and you've got to make today's half million phones, and you've got to get a half million phones shipped out to make room for tomorrow's phones.

I would love to see Apple build factories in the US. I don't see it happening very soon, because if you built them like the current factories, they'd need hundreds of thousands of skilled workers, living in close proximity to the factory, all working for Apple - a "company town", the likes of which haven't been seen in this country in a very long time. The infrastructure for this isn't there and would have to be built up. What I expect to see, eventually, is highly automated Apple factories in the US, with much less hand assembly work being done. I'd also expect it would make sense for Apple to position factories around the world - keep some in China for supplying China and surrounding markets, continue the India production, build some factories in the US to supply North (and possibly South) America, maybe put another in Europe or the UK to serve that market, etc. This would result in less shipping things all around the globe, and also make them more resilient against political problems around the world (wars and such, plus not having to tiptoe so much around the Chinese government).

If I were Apple upper management at this point, I'd have a large design group working on the design of the next factories and all the myriad issues that will raise.