“The Taiwan-based Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., now the world’s No. 1 EMS (electronics manufacturing service) provider, and Cheng Uei Precision Industry Co., Ltd., an adaptor and connector maker, have jointly snapped up Apple’s contract orders for iPhone headphones from Japan’s FOSTER, according to industry sources,” Steve Chuang reports for CENS.
“FOSTER has been the exclusive maker of iPhone headphones for a while,” Chuang reports. “However, starting in 2011, part of headphones for iPhones will be supplied by the two Taiwanese electronic manufacturers, with Hon Hai making wires and assembling the device, and Cheng Uei producing cords, loudspeakers and control switch modules.”
“Market observers indicated that the switched orders, approximately worth as much as NT$5-10 billion, will bring about considerable growth momentum for Hon Hai and Cheng Uei’ sales in the future,” Chuang reports. “Noteworthily, Cheng Uei is expected to see its sales to Apple markedly surge 50% in 2011, because the firm will also supply iPad chargers and flexible substrates used in iPhone headphone control switches to the client in the year, in addition to the aforementioned headphone parts. In response to the rapidly growing business with Apple, Cheng Uei has kicked off output expansion in its factories in China.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Attribution: BGR. Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Fred Mertz” and “Lynn W.” for the heads up.]
Hope they’re better than Apple’s standard headphones
which are barely adequate.
Uhm, they are built to Apple specs. The standard headphones are fine. Very few devices include better. You want something better, everyone knows you buy them separate.
@ KenC
I agree with you.
I like the “in-ear” type better, but I can understand why Apple provides standard headphones that work fine for most customers without the need to fiddle around with different-sized rubber pieces. I think they sound decent.
The $29 replacement headphone is probably the highest profit margin item that Apple sells. Actually, probably the second highest, after the $29 iPhone 4 “bumper.” ” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” />
The phones are fine (love the remote and mike
functions). My only problem is the poor fit. They
don’t block out much external noise and keep
falling out. I’ve got half a dozen laying around
and can experiment. Will super glue some
extra earbuds that came with my Sony phones
and see how that works out. The best I ever
had was a set of cheap Sony’s that had stems
over which you pulled on the earbuds. I had
sets of industrial type of earplugs at work
whose bodies were hollow. They looked like
4 branched Christmas trees. I cut off both ends
to make them fit on the Sony’s stems and they
were perfect. Still looking for that type of earplug
as I am not now working at Chrysler.
This is so exciting.
@ R2
hahaha
@ Kimchi Stinks
Are you still sick of those jerkwad Koreans who want to sell everything under the sun here in the U.S. but won’t reciprocate with our exports. Oh well…
see –
[url=”http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/27626/”]iPhoneless DoCoMo uses Darth Vader to pitch Android phone to Japan (with video)
[/url]
Arrgh!
Contract for iPhone headphones worth $5-10 billion?!?!? Wow!
(I’m assuming they mean earbuds)
Did I read that right?
Like the earbuds.
Don’t like the USB/charger cable, the only thing that comes with the iphone that is really cheap quality.
The currency is the New Taiwan Dollar. Divide by 30.
What’s Foster? It’s Fostex.
http://www.fostexinternational.com/