Foxconn Hiring Workers for iPhone 5S Production

Both The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg are reporting that Foxconn has begun hiring new workers in support of iPhone 5S production. The articles follow a separate report from The Wall Street Journal earlier this month claiming that production on the new iPhone would begin this quarter ahead of a potential summer launch.

From today's Wall Street Journal report:

A company spokesman declined to elaborate on production plans, only saying that Foxconn will continue to expand its workforce in Zhengzhou to meet seasonal demand from clients. But executives familiar with the situation said the company has stepped up hiring in Zhengzhou because it is preparing for production of the new iPhone.

"We have been very busy recently as we will start mass-producing the new iPhone soon," said a Zhengzhou-based executive who has direct knowledge of production plans.

iphone_production

iPhone being prepared for final assembly (Source: Apple)

Bloomberg's source offered similar information on Foxconn's hiring push:

Workers have been recruited at Foxconn’s plant in Zhengzhou, eastern China, for the past month, ending a hiring freeze imposed in February, said the person, who asked not to be named because the plans haven’t been made public. The extra workers will assemble the new device as well as existing models and have been added at Apple’s request to boost capacity, the person said.

Apple has been rumored to be planning to introduce its next-generation iPhone as soon as the company's Worldwide Developers Conference, which has itself been rumored for its usual June timeframe.

Other reports have, however, been pushing their predictions of the iPhone 5S launch later in 2013, with relatively reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo just last week having predicted that work on a fingerprint sensor would result in the iPhone 5S launching later than many observers have expected. Kuo declined to offer a specific target date for the iPhone 5S launch, but outlined three possible scenarios involving a launch taking place between September and November.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple's CarPlay Ultra to Expand to These Vehicle Brands Later This Year

Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. In his Powe...
Apple Logo Black

Apple's Next Launch is 'Imminent'

Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models. "All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
We are still waiting for the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to come out, so the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week or two away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

New MacBook Pros Reportedly Launching Alongside macOS 26.3

Sunday February 1, 2026 5:42 am PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...
iOS 26 Home Feature

Apple Gives Final Warning to Home App Users

Tuesday February 3, 2026 8:55 am PST by
In 2022, Apple introduced a new Apple Home architecture that is "more reliable and efficient," and the deadline to upgrade and avoid issues is fast approaching. In an email this week, Apple gave customers a final reminder to upgrade their Home app by February 10, 2026. Apple says users who do not upgrade may experience issues with accessories and automations, or lose access to their smart...

Top Rated Comments

BlindGoldfish Avatar
167 months ago
Does the iPhone in that picture that is being prepared for final assembly have a protective coating? Or is this Apple leaking a picture of a yellow iPhone 5S...
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jmthigpen Avatar
167 months ago
The iPhone 5 is already so fast, never notice any lag. Looking forward to an even faster iPhone though!
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
D.T. Avatar
167 months ago
Don't think so, if you magnify the picture you can see holes in the bottom, now why should there be holes in a protective casing.
And, how thick is the casing, 0.1 mm, you just can't see a casing around it.

It just looks like protective tape you see on all sort of electronics during manufacturing/assembly [?]
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
till213 Avatar
167 months ago
Last quarter Apple sold an average of 500,000 iPhones... every day.

But it was reported that it takes a total of 24 hours to make one iPhone.

So how many workers does Foxconn need to manufacture at that pace?

Oh, that one's very easy math, about primary school grade: You sell 500'000 units per day and one unit takes 24 hours to produce (for the sake of simplicity we assume for one person).

So you need exactly 500'000 cheap workers - solved!

;)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gnasher729 Avatar
167 months ago
Foxconn is hiring? Where do I apply?! /s :rolleyes:

At Foxconn.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AQUADock Avatar
167 months ago
Don't think so, if you magnify the picture you can see holes in the bottom, now why should there be holes in a protective casing.
And, how thick is the casing, 0.1 mm, you just can't see a casing around it.
If you look closely you can see it has a hole for a 30 pin connector so it either a 4 or 4S.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)