Will iPhone 6 Be The First Apple Device To Be Made By Robots? | TechTree.com

Will iPhone 6 Be The First Apple Device To Be Made By Robots?

Foxconn CEO Terry Gou reportedly said that Apple will be the first customer to take advantage of its robot workforce.

 

Foxconn, the contract manufacturer of the iPhone, has confirmed that Apple will be its first customer to take advantage of its robot workforce, dubbed 'Foxbots'. According to CEO Terry Gou, the Foxbots are in the final stages of testing and could see deployment in at least on of its factories in the near future.

The company is planning an installation of 10,000 robots to replace human workers, in time for the production of the iPhone 6. Gou supposedly added that Foxconn is planning to roll out robots on assembly lines responsible for products like the iPhone.

At a cost of $20,000 to $25,000 for each robot, the company claims a single Foxbot will be able to manufacture 30,000 devices per year. That would also equate to massive savings for a company that currently employees 1.2 million workers at its various factories across China.

Foxconn's plan for a robot workforce has been delayed since it was first announced in 2011. At the time Gou claimed that the company had 10,000 robots already in operation, with a plan to have one million robots by 2014. However, given the delay the number of robots currently being used at Foxconn's facilities remain unknown.

[See also: iPhone 6's Sapphire Glass Survives Extreme Stress Test]

For Apple, having robots manufacture its products could move it away from Foxconn's ongoing worker rights troubles. The move could go hand in hand with its new-found eco-friendly practices and move to eliminate the use of conflict metals from any of its devices.

The iPhone 6 is rumoured to be launched in two avatars this year – a 4.7-inch version and a larger 5.5-inch phablet version. Leaks also suggest that the devices will feature a new design with a thinner chassis and could be powered by the next-gen A8 SoC.

[See also: iPhone 6 Panel Leaked: Change In Price And Launch Date Rumours]

Going by recent rumours, the iPhone 6 could be launched on September 25, while others suggest the devices could be launched a little earlier on September 19.


TAGS: Apple, Foxconn, iPhone 6, Robots, smartphones

 
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