Chinese mega-manufacturer Foxconn has reportedly agreed to build a massive display production plant for the exclusive use of Apple.
Foxconn has agreed to spend NT$80 billion (£1.6 billion) on a new factory in Taiwan for its Innolux display unit.
According to Bloomberg, equipment installation at this new advanced sixth generation site will commence next month, with mass production of panels due to start by the end of 2015. This is said to have followed an “urgent request” for more capacity from the client in question.
The information was provided by Sophia Chang, a PR representative for Innolux, and though Apple doesn’t seem to have been explicitly mentioned, it’s difficult to see who else could have put such a grand request to the world’s largest electronics manufacturer.
Foxconn already provides factories that are assigned exclusively to assembling Apple devices, but this will be the first time the manufacturer has done the same with actually building the components that go into those devices.
Apple is clearly trying to get a hold on the supply chain process following persistent shortages of its key devices in recent years. Over the past year or so, both the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 5S have proved hard to come by in their early months on sale.
Recent efforts to own the supply of sapphire glass have infamously stalled amidst legal battles, but Apple’s plans to increase its control over the production process will doubtless continue.
Read More: iPhone 6 vs iPhone 6 Plus
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
