According to a recent report from Wall Street Journal the 3-4 weeks shipping time on the iPhone 5 is due to the high degree of difficulty in the manufacturing process. The iPhone 5 has sold well of 5 million devices in its opening weekend. Apple confirmed that this number could have been higher had there been able to ship meet the demand.
[quote]iPhone 5 is the most difficult device that Foxconn has ever assembled[/quote]
The report cited comments from a executive at Hon Hai. According to the official, “the iPhone 5 is the most difficult device that Foxconn has ever assembled. To make it light and thin, the design is very complicated.” The official went on the say that, “It takes time to learn how to make this new device. Practice makes perfect. Our productivity has been improving day by day.”
The executive said Hon Hai has taken steps to improve its productivity and address scratches on the metal casings of some new iPhones that were shipped. Hon Hai has recently implemented a new quality check procedure to reduce the chance of damages. But he noted the iPhone 5 uses a new coating material that makes it more susceptible to scratching.
“It’s always hard to satisfy both aesthetic needs and practical needs,” said the executive.
Apple’s earnings call is schedule for October 25, this would revealed the amount of iPhone 5 sold during the backend of the last quarter. However, the figure Apple reveals would certainly be a lot more had these manufacturing issues from the beginning.
