Tech
Do You Know How iPads Are Made?
Journalist Rob Schmitz takes a rare look at Foxconn, the company that assembles tech giant Apple’s iPad devices.
Foxconn has allowed Marketplace, a public radio business show, to gain access to its factories and see how iPads are made. Its main factories are located in Shenzhen, China. The video footage is part of Apple’s public relations campaign.
The video shows how Chinese workers assemble the different parts of iPad like the chip, motherboard, batter and the touch screen. Workers also conduct screen tests to ensure the touch screen displays the colors correctly.
Although the work looks repetitive and robotic, the assembly line is designed to ensure efficiency and maximum productivity. Workers are also rotated regularly and assigned to different parts of the assembly line to minimize boredom and complacency.
Schmitz said that he estimates one new iPad is made every two seconds. One iPad costs between $200 to 400.
Workers in Foxconn’s factories earn from $347 to$437 a month. This may seem low but China has been known to offer cheap labor. The average monthly income in Shenzhen is $209. Foxconn’s compensation is even higher than the average monthly income in Beijing and Shanghai, which is about $200.
Foxconn, whose official company name is Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, also enjoys a reputation of one of the best places to work for in China. The company has invested in large sports field, where its employees can have some rest and recreation.
Schmitz is only the second journalist to ever see the factories of Foxconn. Apple initiated a public relations campaign in Foxconn after the factories were discovered to require their employees to render 60 work hours a week, a violation of Chinese laws.
