The world’s largest iPhone assembly plant in Zhengzhou, China is running at full speed, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week in anticipation of very strong demand for Apple’s new iPhone 12 series.
Cissy Zhou and Zhou Xin for The South China Morning Post:
Apple’s main iPhone manufacturer in China is running 24 hours a day to produce the new iPhone 12, cancelling workers’ holidays and introducing mandatory overtime with juicy bonuses for longer-serving staff, according to employees, recruitment ads and local media.
The all-hands-on-deck approach at FoxconnA’s massive Zhengzhou factory reflects China’s resilient manufacturing capabilities and deep connection between the Chinese and US economies, despite a push from Washington for decoupling.
Employee Wang Guofeng said overtime work had increased since summer and most workers were allowed to take only four days off per month. “You can earn 5,000 yuan to 6,000 yuan (US$880) per month, and if you work at the factory for more than 90 days, there’s a handsome amount of special pay,” said the 33-year-old who has worked at the factory for over four years. Another employee surnamed Ma said the company had started night shifts, with production lines running 24 hours a day. “We have been kept so busy for the past weeks because of the iPhone 12,” Ma said, referring to the new model that is expected to be unveiled next month.
MacDailyNews Take: It’s iPhone assembly push time! Many millions upon millions of iPhone 12 units will be required to fuel the first leg of the multi-year Mother of All iPhone Super Cycles.
This is pretty well how it happens every year and after a Christmas, as the factories close for Chinese New Year, production will be scaled back, orders for components will also be scaled back and analysts will make their annual observation that Apple has had to reduce orders for parts because sales are disappointing.
Sales always go down in the first quarter of any new year though, it’s only natural. Sales are only disappointing in the screenless and bland audio only world of my always disappointing brother Alan
LOL :):)