Foxconn said to be hiring workers to build next-gen iPhone

According to a new report, Foxconn—Apple’s go-to manufacturing partner for many of its iOS devices—has begun hiring workers to help it produce the next-generation iPhone. A recruiting firm that works with the company has reportedly started large-scale recruitment.

The boost in hiring makes sense, as recent reports suggest that Apple has begun ramping up production of its next-gen handset ahead of what is expected to be a fall launch. We saw a similar bolster in Foxconn’s workforce ahead of the iPhone 5′s launch last summer…

CNET points to the report in China Business News:

“Foxconn Technology Group, the world’s largest contract manufacturer of electronics by revenue, has restarted hiring assembly line workers in the  Chinese mainland to produce Apple’s next-generation gadget iPhone 6, the China Business News (CBN) reported Tuesday, citing company insiders.”

Though the report refers to the product as the ‘iPhone 6,’ it doesn’t appear to be more than guesswork, as there is no indication of a model number of the handset. Besides, as aforementioned, the timing matches up perfectly with Apple’s forecasted iPhone 5Sproduction.

Foxconn has been a major producer of the iPhone and iPad for the past few years, but word is that it’s been losing some orders recently to its Taiwanese competitor Pegatron Corp. Many believe the move has something to do with Foxconn’s iPhone 5 production issues.

We don’t know much about this year’s iPhone release, but many believe that it will be an ‘S’ model upgrade to its predecessor. Its features are rumored to include a faster processor, a dual LED flash, a better camera with slow-motion capabilities and a fingerprint sensor.

Apple is expected to unveil the handset, alongside multiple refreshed iPads and other products, sometime in the next three months.

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Foxconn showcases its own smartwatch ahead of Apple’s iWatch

Could Apple’s largest contract manufacturer also become a competitor? Foxconn’s parent company, Hon Hai, unveiled a smartwatch that connects to your iPhone, displaying phone calls and Facebook messages. The news comes as the Taiwan-based assembler of iPhones seeks ways to diversify income as the  industry undergoes some uncertain times.

The watch, unveiled by Hon Hai Chairman Terry Gou Wednesday, appears to compete against the iWatch, a rumored device that Apple may introduce. Despite not being an actualiWatch, Foxconn reportedly received 1,000 orders for its product…

The device, which connects wirelessly to the iPhone, can also be used to “measure the user’s vital signs such as respiration and heartbeat,” reports the site WantChina Times.

Gou told a shareholder’s meeting that the watch will also include fingerprint recognition and offer advice on ways to improve your health.

The wearable computing device can be used to measure the user’s vital signs such as respiration and heartbeat, as well as to check phone calls and Facebook posts, Hon Hai executives said while showing the watch at a shareholders meeting.

If the measuring results are not within optimal range, the device will automatically give suggestions to the user about how to improve them, the executives said.

Wednesday Gou said Hon Hai must diversify its sources of revenue beyond Apple, which supplies around 60 percent of the Taiwan-based firm’s income.

Potential revenue options include licensing patents, as well as creating accessories for the devices Foxconn makes for numerous consumer electronics brands.

Since Google introduced its Google Glass eyewear, wearable computing has been a hot topic. For months the possibility of Apple offering a smartwatch has been bandied about, including potential patents, projected designs and analyst estimates of arrival.

Which brings me to my question of the day: is Apple going to reveal a smarwatch?

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