Will Apple's iPhone 6 be made by ROBOTS? Chinese manufacturer Foxconn confirms Apple will be first customer for its 'Foxbot' robot assembly line
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iPhone maker Foxconn has revealed Apple's new iPhone 6 could be the first to be made using its 'robot army'.
The firm has pledged to have a million robot workers by the end of the year - and CEO Terry Gou has revealed the robots, dubbed 'Foxbots', are in the final stages of testing.
It is believed Foxconn will install 10,000 robots as a test.
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Workers are seen inside a Foxconn factory in the township of Longhua in the southern Guangdong province. The firm is believed to be installing thousands of robots to help build Apple's latest iPhone.
A Foxconn factory worker became a celebrity after her smiling face was accidentally loaded onto an Apple iPhone and shipped to the other side of the world, her employer said. )
Lines dedicated to Apple devices getting first priority, according to IT Home.
It says Gou told a shareholder meeting that Apple would be the first company to take advantage of the new robot workers meaning that its next product - the iPhone 6 - will be manufactured in this way.
Each $25,000 Foxbot can complete an average of 30,000 devices per year it has been claimed.
Foxconn, which currently employs more than 1.2 million workers at its various factories across China.
However, the firm's robot initiative has been delayed since it was first announced in 2011.
At the time, Gou said the company had about 10,000 units already in operation, a number that was supposed to rise to 300,000 in 2012, then one million by 2014.
However, the firm is also ramping up human workers for the iPhone 6, with 100,00 being hired according to some reports.
Dozens of pictures have leaked online claiming to show Apple's iPhone 6.
They all show a thin, curved device with distinctive white 'bars' across the back.
However, a Japanese news agency has claimed that in fact, the finished product will look very different - and that it could even have a curved screen.
An image last week, also leaked by Sonny Dickson, revealed the two new iPhone 6 models side-by-side
IS THERE A SUPERTHIN IPHONE AIR?
Apple's iPhone 6 is rumoured to come in a slim 'Air' version.
New rumours back the claims, promising a far thinner screen technology.
Up until August last year, Huawei was the record-holder for the thinnest phone in the world with its Ascend P6, at 0.24 inches (6.18 millimetres).
This was then replaced by the Vivo X3 at just 0.23 inches (5.75 millimetres).
By comparison, Apple's current iPhone 5S has a depth of 0.3 inches (7.6 millimetres), while the iPad Air is slightly thinner at 0.295 inches (7.5 millimetres).
Samsung's Galaxy S4 is 0.31 inches (7.9 millimetres) thick, while the HTC One is 0.37 inches (9.3 millimetres).
Nikkei says the leaked pictures all show flaws - such as buttons that do not fit properly, of misaligned screens.
They claim this is because the units are unfinished - and that the final version will have polished glass in place of the bars seen in pictures, and possibly even a curved screen.
According to an unnamed source who has seen the real thing, the mockups are no better than a 'rough estimate' of what the final phone will look like.
It also claims the final design could see a curved glass design.
Another report from The China Times says Apple will use a new type of display in the iPhone 6, allowing it to be far thinner than the current iPhone 5c - although it claims manufacturers are struggling to make the super-thin panels.
Apple suppliers are believed to be about to begin mass production of two new iPhones set to be launched in September.
It has been rumoured the 4.5 inch version of the handset would launch first, followed a month later by a 5.5inch version.
However, now it believed both could be unveiled at the same time.
Prolific Apple-tipster, Sonny Dickson, has got his hands on leaked images of the front and back of a possible Apple LCD backlight panel that measures 5.5 inches (14cm). The photos suggest Apple is already producing components for its anticipated 5.5-inch phone
'Apple is ramping up on two bigger devices, said Bloomberg, saying its sources asked not to be identified because the plans are private.
'One model will have a 4.7-inch display, compared to the 4-inch screen of the current iPhone 5s, that may be available to ship to retailers around September, said two of the people.
'A 5.5-inch version is also being prepared for manufacturing and may be available at the same time, the people said.'
Hundreds of thousands of new employees have been drafted in by suppliers to meet the expected huge demand.
According to a new report from RBC Caputal Markets, 'Overall, our survey suggests that consumer demand for
an iPhone 6 is solid.'
The firm surveyed 4,000+ consumers, and found many would be swayed towards the iPhone by a bigger screen.
'35% of the users who don't expect to purchase an iPhone would do so should Apple offer a larger form factor,' it said.
However, it did find consumer's number one request was better battery life - followed by a bigger screen.
It also found people would pay a premium for the big screen.
'26% of the consumers are willing to pay a $100 premium for a 5.5" screen size,' the report claimed.
According to RBC Capital Markets, a quarter of potential iPhone 6 buyers would be willing to pay $100 more for their iPhone to have a 5.5-inch screen over the other rumored size of 4.7 inches.
Hon Hai Precision Industry will recruit over 100,000 people in mainland China to produce the newest iPhone from Apple, Taiwan's Economic Daily News reported on Monday, in what the report called the firm's largest single hiring spree in China.
Fellow Taiwanese contract manufacturer Pegatron Corp will also expand its workforce in one mainland factory by 30 percent, in response to expected high demand for the new iPhone.
The handsets have been plagued by leaks.
While numerous images of the 4.7-inch version have been leaked over the past few weeks, until recently details of the 5.5 inch model have remained a mystery.
Now, prolific Apple-tipster, Sonny Dickson, has got his hands on images of the front and back of a possible Apple LCD backlight panel that measures 5.5 inches (14cm).
While the photos themselves aren't groundbreaking, they suggest Apple is already producing components for the larger-sized phones, according to 9 to 5 Mac who first reported the leak, after Dickson tweeted the images.
An image last week, also leaked by Dickson, revealed the two new models side-by-side.
These latest photos are the first images of the 5.5-inch version's display part.
Foxconn, which manufacturers around 70 per cent of the phone, recently hired 100,000 additional workers in mainland China to help produce the iPhone 6.
Both these moves suggest Apple is gearing up for the launch of new iOS devices around the usual September timeframe.
Separate reports have suggested the 5.5-inch model will be released several weeks before the 4.7-inch model, and will be produced in limited numbers.
Based on previous leaks, the new set of iPhones will launch in a thinner aluminium body and will include a sapphire crystal display covering for improved strength.
Users of Apple's next handset may also be able to track altitude, weather and even air pressure, according to code found in the iOS 8 operating system.
Larger iPhones, the subject of months of speculation, would mark yet another incremental tweak to the popular smartphone line and an attempt to catch up to rivals like Samsung.
Taiwanese sources said the camera in the iPhone 6 will get a boost to 10MP, from its current 8MP version, along with a new lens offering better picture quality. It is also expected to boast a new filter, allowing for clearer pictures.
Apple's new devices are expected to use the in-cell touch panel technology - which embeds sensors more tightly into the screen - seen on previous models to make the next device as thin as possible.
Australian blog MacFixit claims this is the rear case of the iPhone 6. As well as environmental readings, the rumoured sensors would improve the accuracy and speed of the phone's location services
Users of iPhone 6 could have sensors to track altitude, weather and even air pressure, according to code hidden in the iOS 8 operating system. This image is a screen grab from a video created by French site nowhereelse.fr. It features what is believed to be an industrial model of the iPhone 6 handset
Both iPhones are also thought to include a higher-resolution display with a pixel ratio of 1704 x 960.
They may also include an A8 system-on-a-chip for improved efficiency, performance boosts, and better battery life.
Apple also has the iWatch in the pipeline for release this year, which will include more than 10 sensors to take health measurements and other data.
Apple has been under pressure to release new products, as investors question whether the company that popularized the smartphone and the tablet computer is still able to innovate following the death of co-founder Steve Jobs.
Taiwan's Quanta Computer Inc will start mass production of Apple first smartwatch in July, and the much anticipated timepiece will be revealed in October, it has been claimed.
Leaked images (pictured) and reports about Apple's next flagship phone - dubbed iPhone 6 - have been circulating since last year. If the rumours turn out to be true, the iPhone 6 will have a rounded, thinner design and a larger screen
Tag Heuer, part of luxury goods group LVMH, said on Friday its vice president for sales, Patrick Pruniaux, who had been with the brand for seven years, was leaving on Monday to join Apple - and is expected to work on the iWatch.
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