The Data in the present day reported that shortly after COVID-19-related lockdowns and protests in China impacted iPhone assembler Foxconn in late 2022, Apple’s senior vp of operations Sabih Khan instructed managers to cut back the variety of staff on iPhone meeting strains by as a lot as 50% over the following couple of years.

To attain this objective, Apple allegedly started approving high-cost automation initiatives for iPhone meeting that it beforehand shied away from. The report claims these efforts resulted in a “vital quantity” of automation being concerned for iPhone 15 manufacturing, however automation has nonetheless posed challenges for Apple because of manufacturing complexities.

For instance, the report claims that Apple needed to cancel some automation processes for the iPhone 16 sequence because of a “excessive price of defects”:

This 12 months, Apple sought to construct on a few of its automation successes by utilizing machines to put in the iPhone’s buttons, receiver, speaker and predominant logic board into its chassis, in keeping with three individuals who labored in Apple’s provide chain. However the machines stumbled in correctly fastening these elements, which need to be rigorously screwed into place at odd angles, the individuals mentioned.

Apple’s push for automation might permit it to maneuver much more iPhone meeting to international locations exterior of China, equivalent to India, Vietnam, and Thailand, as a part of the corporate’s efforts to diversify its provide chain in Southeast Asia.

Extra particulars might be present in The Data‘s report.

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