Sony reportedly targeting 50 million Xperia smartphone sales in '13

Sony to use the usual ODM suspects: Foxconn, Arima and Compal

Sony Mobile is expected to ship 50 million Xperia smartphones next year, and pull off that ambitious growth by turning to Taiwan-based original device manufacturers, according to a DigiTimes source.

"[Foxconn] is currently the largest ODM for Sony Mobile, followed by Arima and Compal," an industry source told the Taiwanese site.

"The three ODMs may receive up to 20 million smartphone [of the 50 million] orders from Sony Mobile in 2013."

The source was unnamed, but the statements back up a previous report that indicated Sony is expecting 50 percent year on year growth for its Xperia line.

Forecast for the current year

Sony Mobile will ship 35 million smartphones by the end of this year, estimated the same source.

This would represent a 50 percent increase from last year, but that might not be enough to leave the company in the black.

"[Sony] is still unlikely to swing back to profitability in the year," according to the industry talker.

This may be due in part to the additional scale and high fixed costs that Sony had to incur after it acquired Ericsson's stake in Sony Ericsson.

Outsourcing almost half of its Xperia line to Taiwan could reverse that trend, and Sony has already put the plan into motion.

Foxconn began making low-cost Xperia smartphones in the third quarter of this year, and Arima and Compal will take on similar duties by the second half of 2013, according to DigiTimes.

The 50 million smartphone question

How Sony Mobile is able to create enough demand to warrant shipping 50 million smartphones is the big question.

The company's Xperia S and Xperia T were well reviewed, and T (and the U.S. variant, the Xperia TL) has some star power behind it.

Both the Xperia T and the TL are featured in the new Bond flick, Skyfall, ensuring that it'll peak the interest of 007-wannabes everywhere.

It also doesn't hurt that both the Xperia T and the TX models are receiving feature upgrades this week.

But the real question mark lies with the long-rumored Sony Odin and its just-as-unconfirmed 5-inch WhiteMagic display. That may be the key to Sony's 50 million smartphone target.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/sony-reportedly-targeting-50-million-xperia-smartphone-sales-in-13-1110962

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Report: Sony Mobile aims to ship 50 million XPERIA smartphones in 2013

Sony to use the usual ODM suspects: Foxconn, Arima and Compal

Sony Mobile is expected to ship 50 million Xperia smartphones next year, and pull off that ambitious growth by turning to Taiwan-based original device manufacturers.

"[Foxconn] is currently the largest ODM for Sony Mobile, followed by Arima and Compal," an industry source told Taiwan's DigiTimes.

"The three ODMs may receive up to 20 million smartphone [of the 50 million] orders from Sony Mobile in 2013."

The source was unnamed, but the statements back up a previous report that indicated Sony is expecting 50 percent year-on-year growth for its Xperia line.

Forecast for the current year

Sony Mobile will ship 35 million smartphones by the end of this year, estimated the same source.

This would represent a 50 percent increase from last year, but that might not be enough to leave the company in the black.

"[Sony] is still unlikely to swing back to profitability in the year," according to the industry source.

This may be due in part to the additional scale and high fixed costs that Sony had to incur after it acquired Ericsson's stake in Sony Ericsson.

Outsourcing almost half of its Xperia line to Taiwan could reverse that trend, and Sony has already put the plan into motion.

Foxconn began making low-cost Xperia smartphones in the third quarter of this year, and Arima and Compal will take on similar duties by the second half of 2013, according to DigiTimes.

The 50 million smartphone question

How Sony Mobile is able to create enough demand to warrant shipping 50 million smartphones is the big question.

The company's Xperia S and Xperia T were well reviewed, and T (and the U.S. variant, the Xperia TL) has some star power behind it.

Both the Xperia T and the TL are featuring in the new Bond flick, Skyfall, ensuring that it'll peak the interest of 007-wannabes everywhere.

It also doesn't hurt that both the Xperia T and the TX models are receiving feature upgrades this week.

But the real question mark lies with the long-rumored Sony Odin and its just-as-unconfirmed 5-inch WhiteMagic display. That may be the key to Sony's 50 million smartphone target.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/report-sony-mobile-aims-to-ship-50-million-xperia-smartphones-in-2013-1110962

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Foxconn chairman admits it is ‘falling short’ of iPhone 5 demand

iPhone 5 manufacturer Foxconn admitted Wednesday that assembling the lighter, thinner device is "not easy" and as a result the company is having a serious problem keeping up with demand.

With the holiday season fast approaching, we can safely assume that demand for the new iPhone 5 will surge to some degree, though even now it appears that Foxconn, the company charged with assembling the device, is feeling the pressure.

Speaking to reporters after a business forum on Wednesday, Foxconn boss Terry Gou said, “It’s not easy to make the iPhones. We are falling short of meeting the huge demand.”

Gou’s comments appear to back up a number of recent reports regarding the production of the latest iteration of Apple’s popular smartphone. Last month an official at the Taiwan-based manufacturer told the Wall Street Journal that the handset was “the most difficult device that Foxconn has ever assembled,” largely because its lighter, thinner design called for more precision from factory workers when putting it together. “It takes time to learn how to make this new device. Practice makes perfect. Our productivity has been improving day by day,” the official added.

Another issue facing the production line is the phone’s susceptibility to damage, with its relatively soft aluminum casing more prone to scuffs and scratches compared to the glass back found on the iPhone 4S. Shortly after the phone launched in September, a number of disgruntled customers took to forums to complain that their new handset had arrived damaged. Following this, reports emerged that Apple executives had ordered a quality-control crackdown at Foxconn in an effort to reduce the number of less-than-perfect handsets leaving plants.

No doubt Apple CEO Tim Cook will be more than a little perturbed by the fact that more than six weeks after the iPhone 5 launched, shipping time on its online store is still showing at between three and four weeks. Demand for the new phone may be healthy, but Cook will want Foxconn to find a way of cranking them out at a faster rate – a solution which could involve the Taiwan-based company outsourcing some of the orders to other manufacturers to help cope with demand.

[via Reuters]

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/foxconn-chairman-admits-it-is-falling-short-of-iphone-5-demand/

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Foxconn chief admits it can't meet iPhone production demands

Foxconn can't keep up with the demand

If you're wondering why the iPhone 5 won't be dispatched for three to four weeks, here's your reason. Manufacturer Foxconn can't make them fast enough, according to its chairman Terry Gou.

"It's not easy to make the iPhones," Gou told reporters. "We are falling short of meeting the huge demand."

He didn't specify which model is proving particularly tricky, but it's thought he was referring to the latest incarnation.

Last month, an unidentified Foxconn worker said that making the iPhone 5 was "very complicated", hence the supply issues. They described the handset as "the most difficult device that Foxconn has ever assembled."

Tricky design

The iPhone 5 is taller and slimmer than the iPhone 4S, with a larger 4-inch screen. It also has a smaller dock connector.

"It takes time to learn how to make this new device," the unnamed worker told the Wall Street Journal. "Practice makes perfect. Our productivity has been improving day by day."

Between 3,000 and 4,000 Foxconn workers were also reported to have gone on strike last month, though the company denied it. The workers said unfair demands were being placed on them. The company also allegedly provided inadequate training for those putting together the new device.

It was also claimed workers were made to work over a national holiday, though Foxconn said any who did were paid extra, in line with national labour laws.

The iPhone 4S and 4 are in stock at Apple's online store, so should be dispatched as soon as you order.

Via CNET

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/foxconn-chief-admits-it-cant-meet-iphone-production-demands-1110805

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Foxconn calls iPhone 5 'most difficult' device it's ever assembled

Presenting some considerable challenges

An unnamed executive at Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn has revealed that Apple's iPhone 5 is the most challenging assembly the company's workers have ever faced.

"The iPhone 5 is the most difficult device that Foxconn has ever assembled. To make it light and thin, the design is very complicated," the exec reportedly told the Wall Street Journal.

"It takes time to learn how to make this new device," he or she said, adding, "Practice makes perfect. Our productivity has been improving day by day."

The exec went on to admit that recent conflicts between workers had to do with certain quality issues, including iPhone 5 handsets carrying significant chassis scratches right out of the box.

"It's always hard to satisfy both aesthetic and practical needs," said the executive.

iPhone 5 shortages explained?

The iPhone 5 has suffered from production shortages, creating long waits for those who order the new device.

One possible explanation for the iPhone 5 shortages could fall on the production troubles experienced by display manufacturer Sharp.

Now it seems troubles at Foxconn is perhaps to blame as well, though that shouldn't come as a surprise.

Foxconn strikes again

Foxconn has courted its share of controversy this year, so it's easy to forget that 99 percent of the time its employees are simply making iPhones and other devices.

That's when they're not going on strike due reportedly to unreasonable quality control demands combined with lack of proper training of course.

Though, to be fair, that strike supposedly never happened at all.

But there's no denying that Foxconn employees are distracted by the occasional riot.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/foxconn-calls-iphone-5-most-difficult-device-its-ever-assembled-1105128

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iPhone 5 production slows down due to stricter quality control

Apple is experiencing a slowdown in the iPhone 5 production as the company is trying to enforce a tighter control over the manufacturing process. The company is working with Foxconn to lower down the number of devices shipped with nicks and scratches.

According to an anonymous source who spoke to Bloomberg, the build quality issues and chips of the iPhone 5 are due to the special aluminum Apple has decided to use for the smartphone, which allows the construction of the thinner and lighter body.

That's why senior Apple managers have forced stricter quality control policies on Foxconn's manufacturing locations. The implementation of the new benchmarks has even resulted in idle factories, which in turn should lead to iPhone 5 shortages in the near future.

According to Bloomberg supply concerns have already cost Apple about $60 billion in market cap since the iPhone 5 debut.

This report gives some credibility to the story about Foxconn Zhengzhou workers going on strike. We'll see if Apple manages to take the scratching problems of its premium flagship smartphone under control.

Source | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/iphone_5_production_slows_down_due_to_stricter_aluminum_quality_control-news-4925.php

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Foxconn factory at center of riot reopens, supply not affected

The Foxconn factory at the center of a large riot on Sunday night reopened on Tuesday, a company spokesperson said, adding that there has been no impact on supply.

The Foxconn factory at the center of a serious disturbance late Sunday involving thousands of rioting workers has reopened.

Company spokesperson Louis Woo told Reuters Tuesday that despite staying shut all through Monday, no impact on product supply is expected. “We have 79,000 people working in Taiyuan campus, and we always have spare inventory,” Woo said.

The trouble, which reportedly involved more than 2,000 workers causing widespread damage throughout the factory campus, was brought to a halt by around 5,000 police. About 40 people were injured, with countless arrests made.

China’s state-run news agency said the brawl started after a fight broke out between two workers in a factory dormitory. However, workers allege the incident erupted after a security guard manhandled an employee at the factory gates.

Foxconn, the world’s biggest component maker, is a major manufacturer for Apple, as well as other giants in the electronics industry. The Taiwan-based company has so far refused to say whether this particular facility, located in the northern Chinese city of Taiyuan, is involved in the production of Apple’s new iPhone 5 handset.

In an on-screen interview with the UK’s Channel 4 News program, one former Foxconn worker explained that new devices can cause great stress among workers, saying, “When a factory launches a new product, workers do overtime for long periods to test the production line until they are ready, which really puts pressure on the employees.”

He added, “A new generation of workers has higher demands. They know their rights and they’re more rebellious.”

Foxconn, which employs more than a million people across China, has been under the spotlight for the last few years following reports of employees suffering poor living and working conditions. More recently, the company has apparently been implementing changes in an attempt to improve the situation.

The Fair Labor Association said in August that Foxconn had been making good progress towards its goal of providing better living and working conditions, though if Sunday night’s disturbance can be attributed to a frustrated and beleaguered workforce cracking under the strain, it clearly still has some way to go until its job is complete.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/foxconn-factory-at-center-of-riot-reopens-supply-not-affected/

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