Preparing for the upcoming release of the newest version of the iPhone, Apple has reportedly ordered 120 million iPhone 6 units from Foxconn in a single gigantic order. Apple has requested that Foxconn have all 120 million of the devices manufactured before the year ends, indicating that Apple has great faith in their product's ability to sell. In order to meet the tech giant's demands, Foxconn is placing greater emphasis on its recruitment drive, which will hire up to 100,000 additional workers in China.
Foxconn is Apple's biggest assembly partner, but even now its facilities do not quite have the manpower to deliver on Apple's request in a timely manner. 100,000 more workers could do the trick, but this still marks one of the largest orders that the company has ever received, especially for an as-of-yet unreleased device. Should sales tank on the iPhone 6 (or the iPhone Air, which is also part of the manufacturing order), Apple would be left holding the bill.
The manufacturer also reportedly accepted the delivery of a large amount of assembly components valued at over $1 billion. These raw materials will be enough to manufacture iPhones at a staggering rate, and will help the company reach its goal of 120 million devices.
Together, the influx of
workers and components gives Foxconn the resources to meet the order that Apple has put forward. The next question on the line is whether Apple will be able to recoup the costs of such a massive order. This seems likely due to the fact that iPhones have traditionally sold very well, and the iPhone 6 even features an advanced health and fitness app. However, the device could also sell poorly if it does not offer enough improvements over the iPhone 5 to keep consumers happy.
Edited by
Rory J. Thompson 
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