Will 12 Million iPhones Be Enough?

Written by Adam Gosling

Thursday, 16 November 2006

The Apple iPhone rumour mill re-emerged today with news that iPod manufacturer and 'sweatshop operator', Foxconn Electronics, has the go ahead from Apple to produce 12 million iPhones for release in the first half of 2007. We reckon they're kidding themselves. The way Apple fanboys buy up anything with white enamel and an Apple logo, 12 million units is only going to last a couple of hours on the Apple Store, let alone making on to retail shelves. The rumours get more elaborate, elsewhere with claims that Apple CEO Steve Jobs may show the handset off at Macworld Expo in January and that there may actually be two mobile models up for grabs. Better hope they are making 12 million of each, or the Apple faithful will be storming No. 1 Infinite Loop in Cupertino demanding their long awaited iPod phone. The paper pointed out that Foxconn declined to comment on the rumours. In June this year Foxconn Electronics, which is the registered trading name of Hon Hai Precision Industry, reputedly the second largest tech company on the planet, was accused by a journalist at the China Business News of exploiting its workers in sweatshop conditions. Although the company was later exonerated by an Apple public industrial relations swat team, Hon Hai was forced to admit it broke local labour laws by permitting workers to do more than 80 hours per month in overtime - that's about 20 hours a week overtime. Hon Hai reacted angrily to the allegations and initially filed a defamation suit against the journalist and his editor. The pair had their assets frozen for months and faced penalties equivalent to 800 years worth of salary if Foxconn was successful. The Taiwanese owned company, which booked an after-tax profit of more than US$300 million fr the first half of 2006, first ultimately reduced its damages claim to just a pittance after international outrage made it realise it was doing itself more harm than good. Then ultimately the company  bowed to pressure (from all quarters including Apple) and dropped the suit entirely. (This is one journalist that wont forgive or forget Hon Hai Precision Industry's abusive attempt to stifle freedom of the press. Buy an iPhone if you like.) Related news items First iPhone Flaw Found -23/07/2007 Battery Recalls Could Change Market Share: IDC -30/11/2006 Widescreens Become The Norm -22/11/2006 WLAN Win For CSIRO -15/11/2006 Airlines Agree To Integrate iPods: UPDATE -14/11/2006 Newer news items New LG Music Phone On 3 -04/12/2006 Nokia Ranges New Quartet -28/11/2006 BlackBerry's Latest: What A Pearla -28/11/2006 Colorful Treo Sound Different -22/11/2006 Smartphones: Plenty Buy Them, Few Use Them -20/11/2006 Older news items New RAZRs Launched On Next G -14/11/2006 Latest Windows Smartphone Released In Australia -06/11/2006 Portable Phone Charger Not Restricted To Motorola -05/11/2006 Nokia Nseries Due To Arrive Soon -26/09/2006 Converged Devices Continue Growth In Q2: IDC -13/09/2006 Tag This Now: