With Apple poised to unveil its 2018 iPhone lineup in just about two months, Digitimes is reporting that Foxconn has already started to accelerate hiring ahead of mass production. Hardly a surprise, it’s become commonplace for Apple’s key suppliers to significantly boost hiring in order to handle what has historically been incredible demand. Though Apple doesn’t release iPhone first-weekend sales figures anymore, iPhone sales during the first three days of availability alone tend to hover somewhere in the 9-10 million range. In short, Apple suppliers — and Foxconn in particular — need to have all hands on deck. In turn, Digitimes notes that Foxconn is also offering one-time bonuses for folks willing to work during the hectic production rush.
On a related note, there have been reports claiming that Apple this year is set to begin trial production earlier than usual as to avoid any significant product delays. While last year’s iPhone 8 models launched on time, recall that the iPhone X didn’t launch until November. What’s more, iPhone X supply was constrained for a short while afterwards. Understandably, Apple this year is doing everything in its power to avoid any product delays involving the iPhone, an ambitious goal given that we can expect to see three brand new iPhone models this year.
As you’ve likely heard by now, Apple’s 2018 iPhone lineup will be its most diverse yet. In addition to a second-gen iPhone X, reports indicate that Apple this year will also release a gargantuan 6.5-inch iPhone X Plus with an OLED display and a 6.1-inch iPhone with an edgeless LCD display.
Apple’s OLED-based iPhones will certainly command a premium, but the 6.1-inch model will reportedly be aggressively priced in an effort to court prospective buyers who want a new form factor but who aren’t willing to spend over $1,000 for a new device. Though we won’t know exact pricing until Apple’s special event in September, some analysts believe that Apple may price its 6.1-inch iPhone variant in the $600-$700 range. At such a cheap price point, there will be some tradeoffs. Most notably, there are reports that Apple’s 6.1-inch iPhone will not incorporate 3D Touch, a feature that most users can arguably live happily without.
