Does this mean Apple is giving Foxconn the boot? Hard to believe, unless they found an even cheaper manufacturer.
Anyways, there goes another myth (Apple's flawless manufacturing). It's just another manufacturer, nothing special.
"the fact that Foxconn has recently declared its worst revenue statistics in over ten years"
What are you smoking? Foxconn had NT $100B ($3.6B USD) in profits last year, which is a record HIGH.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57576228-37/apple-supplier-foxconn-has-record-profit/
that's what you get for going with the lowest bidder...
Um, it's called private business, you're supposed to consider all costs and benefits, and go with the lowest bidder. Otherwise you're just a terrible businessman, not that there's anything wrong with that of course. Personally I would say this further proves Apple's new management's inadequacies when compared to the Jobs era.
$200 bucks in labor? What are they made by hand? Is the glass hand blown, the case forges with hammer and anvil and circuit boards soldered with a soldering iron? Haven't they heard of robots in China?
I know circuit boards were made by robots in the 80's probably a lot of robotics going back to the first microprocessor.. Their couldn't be more than 15 man minutes of labor in one of those. Perhaps those Chinese workers are making $800 an hour.
Foxconn might might be the only vendor that can do the quality and volume that Apple needs. Oh yes, they can go to Samsung, but good look asking them to build you your next iPhone and iPads with any excess capacity they might have.
My 3gs outlasted many of my friends iphone 5's and 4's. Tacky, cheap and weak models with the 5 being far worse than the 4. And lets not forget the software bugs. Took them 2 years to work out the software bugs with my 3gs, now its great. By 2015 the ip5 might work ok but probably wont last that long to even see. They certainly need to lift there game right now or they will fall.
Gotta' love the complete bias here. Here's how it goes:
1) Apple chooses to outsource manufacturing
2) Apple picks lowest price supplier
3) Apple gets the 'quality' it pays for
4) Apple wants gold quality at tin prices
5) Foxconn will tell Apple to CTS, since Apple chose to be beholden to them
6) Apple will blame, sue, etc.
7) Apple won't realize they're shooting themselves in the foot until it's too late.
Gotta' love the complete bias here. Here's how it goes:
1) Apple chooses to outsource manufacturing
2) Apple picks lowest price supplier
3) Apple gets the 'quality' it pays for
4) Apple wants gold quality at tin prices
5) Foxconn will tell Apple to CTS, since Apple chose to be beholden to them
6) Apple will blame, sue, etc.
7) Apple won't realize they're shooting themselves in the foot until it's too late.