iPhone 6 release date may come really soon as Apple's supplier Foxconn will deploy robots to help with the demanding manufacturing process.
Macrumors cited web site IT Home, which reported that Hon Hai Group (parent group of Foxconn) CEO Terry Gou announced that the company will make use of 10,000 robots in the factories. The robots are dubbed as "Foxbots" and are currently in the final stages of testing before they are actually deployed on the factory floors.
According to Gou, each robot costs around $20,000 to $25,000 and is capable of assembling 30,000 handsets. However, the time frame to achieve such output has not been disclosed.
Although the Hon Hai did not specifically say when it will introduce the robots in the assembly line in the factory, it did state that Apple will be the first company to benefit in the inclusion of electronic factory workers, but the particular product to be processed was not announced.
However, the announcement came out just when various Chinese sources confirmed that Apple devices such as iPhone 6 and iPhone Air as well as the iPad line will head to production this month. This sparked speculations that the robots will aid the mass production of the new iPhones. It makes perfect sense if one will think of the number of devices that Apple plans to unveil later this year.
Last month, Foxconn was reported to hold a hiring spree and revealed that it will add 100,000 workers, according to a report from Taiwanese Economic Daily. The company usually increases hiring ahead of the release of a new iPhone, but this is claimed to be the biggest so far. It was suspected that the massive number is due to the two iPhones coming in the fall. The robots may be used to compensate the deficiency in the numbers in order to meet the schedule.
Moreover, Foxconn has been under scrutiny due to reports of maltreatment of its workers and the alleged suicide reports of its employees. The use of robots will minimize cases like these.
