If you’ve ever wondered exactly where your iPhone came from, it was most likely manufactured and shipped from Foxconn’s Zhengzhou production plant. According to a report by M.I.C Gadget, the Zhengzhou plant now produces 70% of Apple’s iPhones.
The plant is known to produce upwards of 200,000 iPhones per day, with the goal of doubling that capacity to 400,00 in the near future. Based on the production numbers for the Zhengzhou plant, this factory has essentially become a completely iPhone-focused powerhouse.
The iPhones that are produced at the plant are shipped worldwide, effectively transforming the iPhone into the one the major export commodities for the Henan province. However such a large amount of exports has begged the question whether working conditions will become worse, especially as the plant attempts to increase production to 400,000 units per day.
The Zhengzhou plant has become the largest iPhone production facility due to a recent strategy shift at Foxconn. The company’s strategy is to move iPhone production completely away from the Shenzhen plant and into the inland territories to benefit on costs. The company is able to pay its “peasant workers” less and further benefit from tax breaks.
Foxconn also wants to move away from Shenzhen due to its reputation of suicides and accusations of poor working conditions.
As seen in the interview above (not English), Foxconn workers indicate they receive two 15-minute paid breaks, one at noon and one in the afternoon, and one 50-minute meal period during each minimum 8-hour workday.
