PC Tech World: Foxconn

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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Foxconn parent Hon Hai licenses Microsoft's patents for Android, Chrome devices

Microsoft and Foxconn Parent Hon Hai Sign Patent Agreement For Android and Chrome Devices
April 16, 2013
Agreement provides broad coverage under Microsoft's patent portfolio to manufacturer of more than 40 percent of the world's consumer electronics.

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REDMOND, Wash. - April 16, 2013 - Microsoft Corp. and Hon Hai, the parent company of Foxconn, signed a worldwide patent licensing agreement that provides broad coverage under Microsoft's patent portfolio for devices running the Android and Chrome OS, including smartphones, tablets and televisions. While the contents of the agreement are confidential, the parties indicate that Microsoft will receive royalties from Hon Hai under the agreement. Hon Hai joins a growing list of contract manufacturing and original design manufacturing companies with Android and Chrome patent licenses.

"We are pleased that the list of companies benefitting from Microsoft's Android licensing program now includes the world's largest contract manufacturer, Hon Hai," said Horacio Gutierrez, corporate vice president and deputy general counsel of the Intellectual Property Group at Microsoft. "By licensing both brand name companies and their contract manufacturers, we have successfully increased the overall effectiveness and global reach of the program."

"Hon Hai is the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer that holds more than 54,000 patents worldwide," said Samuel Fu, director of the Intellectual Property Department at Hon Hai. "We recognize and respect the importance of international efforts that seek to protect intellectual property. The licensing agreement with Microsoft represents those efforts and our continued support of international trade agreements that facilitate implementation of effective patent protection."

Microsoft's Commitment to Licensing Intellectual Property

The patent agreement is another example of the important role intellectual property (IP) plays in ensuring a healthy and vibrant technology ecosystem. Since Microsoft launched its IP licensing program in December 2003, the company has entered into more than 1,100 licensing agreements and continues to develop programs that open Microsoft's IP portfolio for customers, partners and competitors. The program was developed to provide access to Microsoft's significant R&D investments and its growing, broad patent and IP portfolio. Microsoft's specific patent licensing program for Android device makers has resulted in signed license agreements with numerous companies including Samsung, LG, HTC, Acer and Barnes & Noble.

More information about Microsoft's licensing programs is available at http://www.microsoft.com/iplicensing.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft's Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.

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By: Unknown On 11:16 AM

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Foxconn and Flexium to keep some Apple assembly lines running during the Chinese New Year

The Chinese New Year is the most important festival in China. During the 15 days, factories are usually shut down and it takes something terribly important to keep the assembly lines humming. This year, the strong demand globally for the Apple iPhone 5 and the Apple iPad mini means that both Foxconn and Flexium Interconnect will keep some of their production facilities open during the Chinese New Year period. Foxconn assembles the devices while Flexium produces printed circuit boards. Not only won't the plants completely shut down for the festival that starts February 10th, Flexium has hired a large number of students to maintain production.

This could be considered to be a sign of strong demand for the Apple iPhone 5 and the Apple iPad mini. Recently, Apple has been able to catch up with the demand for its iconic smartphone and not only can the handset be found in stores, those ordering online can also find it in stock from the online Apple Store.

The Apple iPad mini is a little different story. A recent report showed that those assembling the unit are putting together fewer tablets than the number that would be expected from the amount of components shipped. This could be a sign of a poor yield rate although the latest word is that the yield rate on the iPad mini assembly line is picking up. Currently, those ordering the Apple iPad mini from the online Apple Store have to wait a week from the time they place the order to the time that it is shipped.

source: UnitedDailyNews (translated), BrightWire via Forbes

View the original article here

By: Dilusha On 10:15 PM

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Foxconn, Samsung face labor issues at Chinese factories

Assembly line workers are logging 12-hour days to churn out the latest handsets for Samsung Electronics at a factory in Huizhou, China.

24-year-old Wang Hong Wei knows what it's like: He and about four to six others would collectively assemble 2700 Samsung Galaxy S III phones each day at the factory run by HTNS Shenzhen Co. But they could never finish the job within normal working hours.

"They told us we could complete it in ten hours, but ten hours was not enough," Wang said when interviewed in late November. "Every day we kept working, but we couldn't finish."

Long working hours are often cited as one of the major labor law violations occurring at electronic manufacturers in China. But for many workers in the country, the excessive overtime is simply the norm, and even sought after. In exchange, employees receive higher salaries, and companies such as Samsung and Apple supplier Foxconn can ship out more product. But after facing increased scrutiny over working conditions in China, both Samsung and Foxconn have pledged to bring down workers' overtime hours over the next two years.

By July 2013, Foxconn plans to limit the overtime at its factories to the Chinese legal limit of 36 hours per month. Samsung also plans to do the same by the end of 2014 for its supplier factories in the country.

But meeting the goal will mean overcoming serious challenges, which if mishandled could lower the salaries for workers, many of whom are dependent on the extra wages to make a living.

IDGNSFoxconn factory workers in Zhengzhou line up to await a bus after work.

"It will definitely be bad for us if they cut overtime," said Li Xiaoan, a Foxconn worker. "Then our money will be less."

At the Foxconn factory in Zhengzhou, China, workers are assembling Apple's iPhone 5. But already, employees such as Li said on Tuesday that demand for overtime hours at the factory has dried up.

"It's the low season," he said, referring to how demand for shipments of the iPhone 5 has fallen. Now Li works only eight hours a day, and occasionally sees overtime hours and every now and then. During the next few months, he expects his monthly wage will be around 2000 yuan (US$318), a little above the 1800 yuan base wage.

"When I first came here, I was making 3200 yuan, and working ten hours each day, including two hours overtime," he said.

Labor protection groups are also aware that many workers want to keep their overtime, even as the groups have continually criticized Foxconn and Samsung for the long working hours. "I remember one worker told me, don't report on the overtime. If you talk about overtime, the companies will cut it," said Li Qiang, the founder of New York-based China Labor Watch.

But Li Qiang and others argue that the more serious problem is that workers' base wages are so low, they have no choice but to work long hours.

"It's not enough to live off of, so they have to do the overtime," Li Qiang said. "If Foxconn raised the base wages, and workers still did the overtime, then that would be a better alternative. Some workers may want the overtime, but others could choose to do something else, and have a life."

Foxconn appears to be aware of the dilemma, and is expected to raise workers' wages to mitigate the effects of the reduced overtime. Already the company is working on a "compensation package" to protect workers' pay, according to the Fair Labor Association, which has been auditing the factories for labor law violations.

Samsung is also researching measures to eliminate excessive overtime, but declined to offer details.

IDGNSOne of Foxconn's factories in Zhengzhou, China.

Despite the two companies' pledges, labor experts said they were skeptical Foxconn and Samsung will be able to fully reduce the overtime at their factories.

Not only do the factories have to take action, but so do vendors such as Apple, said Kalen Hua, a coordinator with the China Labor Research Center. To help bring down demand for overtime, Apple will have to give the factories a longer window to complete shipment orders, he added.

But another problem is that many workers tend to leave the factories in search for other jobs once the low season arrives. Often times this can exacerbate overtime hours for the remaining workers when shipments ramp up again.

"I don't know if they can guarantee that they will come through on this, but if they do succeed, then Foxconn and Samsung will be the first ," Hua said. "If they can take the lead on this, then they could influence other companies. Workers would also want to stay at Foxconn and Samsung."

Some hope to see changes soon.

"They should really think about the workers, and not just about the supply," said Wang Hong Wei, who left the Samsung supplier in Huizhou after only working at the factory for five days. Among his complaints were the exhausting work, the disrespect from management, unpaid wages, and the need to stand all day.

"It felt like the management there was almost inhumane," he said. "I hope the conditions get better for the workers who haven't left."

View the original article here

By: Dilusha On 3:24 PM

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Foxconn plans camera gadgets with GoPro investment

Taiwanese manufacturing giant Foxconn Electronics said it could integrate more camera features into its devices after making a US$200 million investment in a U.S. company that makes cameras for action sports enthusiasts.

Foxconn's investment, announced last week, buys the company a 8.88 percent stake in GoPro, a company that sells wearable cameras to take video and pictures of outdoor activities such as skydiving, surfing, and skiing.

Foxconn's major clients include Apple, Microsoft, Sony, and other electronics vendors, and the company is a producer of smartphones, tablets, TVs, and video game systems. The company foresees the consumer tech industry moving toward more products capable of "content creation," and expects GoPro can help Foxconn better tap into this market, said Foxconn spokesman Simon Hsing.

The investment will also pave the way for GoPro to expand U.S. sales by leveraging Foxconn's manufacturing capacity, he added.

View the original article here

By: Dilusha On 7:54 PM

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Amazon's sub-$200 smartphone now rumored for mid-2013, Foxconn scores contract

amazon, foxconn, kindle, rumor, smartphone, handset, pho

Rumors about an Amazon-branded smartphone have been swirling for the better part of a year, and although the company hasn't confirmed anything, a new report suggests that the device is on track for release sometime next year, roughly two quarters behind the previously-speculated late 2012 launch. It's worth noting that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos had already kind of squashed hopes of a holiday release in September when he revealed that new products were on the way, but that they wouldn't be ready until 2013.

According to Taiwan Economic News, Foxconn has been contracted as the exclusive manufacturer of Amazon's device. In fact, the agency claims that Foxconn "scrambled" for the deal as some of its other major clients -- namely Nokia -- have struggled to gain footing in the industry. By securing the contract, Foxconn has effectively guaranteed business for close associates in the industry (Taiwan Economic News specifically names touchscreen manufacturers J Touch Corp. and Young Fast Optoelectronics).

Amazon's smartphone is now projected to launch between the second and third quarters of 2013, with as many as five million units expected to be shipped before the end of next year. It's believed that the company will follow a similar pricing model to its Kindle devices, charging little for hardware in hopes of making up the difference with software sales. As such, the smartphone will supposedly cost only $100 to $200.

Naturally, it's unclear what that sum will get you, but previous rumors have suggested that the device will be powered by Texas Instruments' OMAP 4 processor and Qualcomm's dual-mode 6-series baseband chip. Separate reports have suggested that the phone will have a large display, presumably in the four to five-inch territory, which would fall in line with the company's goal of focusing on digital content sales.

View the original article here

By: Dilusha On 2:44 PM

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Foxconn rumored as Surface phone manufacturer, Amazon phone too

Mobile hardware is like potato chips, Microsoft can't do just one

Microsoft's rumored Surface phone has, for lack of a better word, resurfaced with word that Foxconn is manufacturing the device.

According to a Digitimes report, Foxconn International Holdings, a subsidiary of Foxconn Electronics, received orders from Microsoft for a handsets with a proposed launch of mid-2013.

The report follows rumors last week from Chinese site IT Home, which cited anonymous sources claiming a Microsoft smartphone to already be in production at Foxconn.

Earlier this month, reports indicated that Microsoft was testing its own brand handset with various suppliers in Asia, presumably looking for a manufacturing partner.

Sources also speculated that the smartphone will have a display size between 4- to 5- inches and of course run on Windows Phone 8 for its OS.

After Microsoft jumped into the mobile hardware ring with its Surface tablet, many analysts believed that a Surface phone would be next.

Potential competitor Nokia even welcomed the idea to encourage competition for a strong Windows Phone ecosystem, though that tune may change should the rumors prove to be true.

The Digitimes report also brought another company into play, adding that Amazon has also picked Foxconn to manufacture its own smartphone.

The Kindle maker has so far stuck to tablets for its mobile devices, but rumors have been circulating all year that a smartphone makes sense as the company's next step.

In September, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos noted that the company has some new devices in the works for next year, which rekindled Amazon smartphone rumors.

Between the rumored Surface phone for Windows Phone 8 and the Amazon handset (expected to run on Android), it seems that next year will see two industry giants make smartphone debuts.

If the mid-2013 launch timeframe is true, then they could arrive just in time to go toe-to-toe with the iPhone 5S, or possibly iPhone 7 at the rate Apple goes through iterations.

Via Digitimes, IT Home

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Foxconn starts replacing workers with robots

Soon to be replaced?

Your next iPhone could be made by robots.

That's because Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn has reportedly started replacing workers on its assembly line with machines designed to do the same task.

Founder and chairman Terry Gou told employees of the plans at a dance in July 2011. According to Gou, using robots should improve efficiency and counter rising labour costs.

The 'Foxbots', as they're known, have started arriving in at least one factory, with another 20,000 due before the end of the year. They cost between $20,000 and $25,000 each to produce. That's around three times what the average Foxconn employee earns in a year.

Foxconn has a chequered history on working conditions. There have been reports of workers committing suicide, rioting, and striking.

It was investigated by the Fair Labor Association earlier in the year.

Recently, Gou admitted it was struggling to keep up with demand for the iPhone 5. Reports came of those on the factory floor being worked too long and without sufficient training to produce the 'tricky' new Apple handset. Between 3,000 and 4,000 workers were reported to have gone on strike from the factory, but Foxconn denied it. An employee riot in August forced the temporary closure of one Foxconn factory.

It also denied employees were made to work through a national holiday, saying those who chose to were paid extra, in keeping with China's employment laws.

After 16 workers were reported to have committed suicide at the Shenzhen plant, the company fitted nets to discourage anyone from jumping.

It's also rumoured to be planning a factory in the US.

Via CNET