Foxconn official claims iPhone 5 design is very complicated

With the iPhone 5 officially launched in most of the countries across the globe and plenty more yet to receive it, there are reports surfacing that there is a shortage of the device. An official of Hon Hai, which is also known as Foxconn, has stated that the iPhone 5 is facing delays because the process of making the handset light and thin is a very complicated procedure.

As per a report by The Wall Street Journal, the author states, “Apple has said its new iphone 5 sold faster initially than any other iPhone but sales have fallen short of some analysts’ expectations due in part to supply shortages. So what’s causing the supply shortage?  Here is Hon Hai Precision Industry Co.’s take. The company, based in Taiwan with factories across China, uses the trade name Foxconn Technology Group , and assembles many Apple products including the new iPhone. “The iPhone 5 is the most difficult device that Foxconn has ever assembled.  To make it light and thin, the design is very complicated,” said an official at the company who declined to be named. “It takes time to learn how to make this new device. Practice makes perfect. Our productivity has been improving day by day.”

iPhone 5 difficult to manufacture

The report goes on to state that the factory has been taking steps to improve the situation and address the scratching issues found on box pack devices.

As per an earlier report, the choice of aluminium used in the iPhone 5 has slowed down the production of the handset. The scrapes and scratches that are found on the Apple iPhone 5 are due to the choice of aluminium used as the rear casing in order to make the device lighter and thinner. However, towards the end of September, senior Apple managers told executives at Foxconn to tighten production standards.

In an official statement late last month, Apple had announced that it has sold over five million units of its iPhone 5 smartphone, three days after its launch on September 21. Apple went on to share further that over 100 million iOS devices have been updated with iOS 6. “Demand for iPhone 5 has been incredible and we are working hard to get an iPhone 5 into the hands of every customer who wants one as quickly as possible,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “While we have sold out of our initial supply, stores continue to receive iPhone 5 shipments regularly and customers can continue to order online and receive an estimated delivery date. We appreciate everyone’s patience and are working hard to build enough iPhone 5s for everyone.”

Here is a quick look at the highlighted features of the iPhone 5:

• 4-inch, 326ppi Retina display at 1136 x 640 pixels,
• GPRS, EDGE, EV-DO, HSPA, HSPA+, DC-HSDPA, LTE and Wi-Fi
• GPS
• Bluetooth
• 8 megapixel camera with 1080p HD recording, 720p front-facing camera
• 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions