According to Bloomberg, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Apple’s key assembly partner, stated that its extensive global manufacturing footprint will enable the company to meet rising demand for Apple’s foldable device, the iPhone Duo.
Apple Chief Operating Officer Sabih Khan (center) met with Young Liu, Rotating Chairman of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. (right) in October. Source: Foxconn Technology Group
Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo earlier this month, with a starting price of RMB 15,999. In-store stock was limited and quickly sold out, while delivery times for some online orders stretch to late January, marking one of the longer delivery delays for a new Apple product in recent years.
The iPhone Duo is currently assembled primarily by Hon Hai, also known as Foxconn, at its “iPhone City” campus in China. Hon Hai also manufactures components for Apple at factories across China and other regions.
When asked whether the company could fulfill iPhone Duo orders for the holiday season, Young Liu, Rotating CEO of Hon Hai, said in an interview with Bloomberg TV: “We operate more than 240 production sites across 24 countries globally and can deliver supplies promptly in response to customer requirements. Therefore, I am confident we can meet order demand.” He added that artificial intelligence is expected to drive demand for consumer electronics.
Though Young Liu did not explicitly name Apple or the iPhone Duo, he plays a pivotal role in coordinating business relations between Foxconn and Apple. During Sabih Khan’s October visit to Foxconn’s factory in central China, Young Liu accompanied him on a tour of the iPhone Duo production line.
Hon Hai Chairman Liu Yangwei has been nurturing potential successors through the rotating CEO system. Regarded as a rising core leader within Foxconn, Young Liu assumed this rotating CEO role in April this year.
Hon Hai is undergoing a business transformation amid the AI era. Apple once accounted for more than half of Hon Hai’s revenue, yet this landscape has shifted. Hon Hai’s Cloud & Networking Business Group contributed 51% of total sales in the second quarter, indicating that AI-related hardware products are now the primary engine driving the firm’s growth.
Hon Hai plans to showcase its latest server products equipped with NVIDIA chips at its flagship annual event on Friday and is also expected to launch a brand-new electric vehicle product line.
(Reprinted from https://news.eccn.com/）