14 DAY TRIAL // The upcoming iPhone 7 will be partially manufactured by robots, as one of Apple’s suppliers has replaced nearly half of its workforce with machines and AI technologies that can perform a wide variety of tasks.
According to local reports, Foxconn has invested millions of dollars since the launch of the iPhone 6 to make its production lines more effective and to streamline all processes, and it appears that the best way to do this was to replace nearly 60,000 of its workers with robots.
Previously, Foxconn employed a total of 110,000 workers, but the company has cut the figure down to 50,000 following the implementation of robots into its production facilities. Foxconn will remain the biggest manufacturer for the iPhone 7 due in September.
Foxconn is just one of the companies that have invested into robots for more effective production and reduced costs, and statistics show that firms in China have spent a total of $630 million on such technology since the debut of the iPhone 6 in September 2014. Without a doubt, Apple’s always-increasing orders have contributed to continued investments into robots, although it’s very clear that the trend could have a big impact on local employment rate.
Huge orders for the iPhone 7
People with knowledge of the matter have hinted that Apple already has huge expectations from the iPhone 7, and the company has recently placed orders for no less than 78 million units only for this year alone.
It’s believed that orders would include in early 2017, depending on the performance of the device, but for the moment, Apple is trying to make sure that it has enough iPhones prepared when the launch takes place.
Both Foxconn and Pegatron will be in charge of iPhone production, as Apple has tapped both of them to make sure it copes with demand, but the first will take care of the biggest part of the process.
The iPhone 7 will land in September with a design similar to the 6s, but with some important improvements, including a bigger camera and OIS for the 4.7-inch model, but also a dual camera system for the Plus version. Read everything about the iPhone 7 here.