Speculation About Budget iPhone Reignited by Apple Supplier Workforce Boost

An assembler of the iPhone and iPad, Pegatron, is about to increase its workforce by 40%, fuelling further speculation about the low-cost iPhone Apple is widely expected to be introducing this year.

According to Reuters‘ sources, displays will enter production this month in Japan, while mass production will start in June, which is in line with what other sources have reported recently.

Also, suppliers informed Reuters that Apple is developing a cheaper iPhone to broaden its sales base in emerging markets such as China and India. Pegatron’s CFO didn’t comment on whether the cheaper iPhone is going to be among the new products the supplier will make.

What he did reveal is that 60% of Pegatron’s income for 2013 will come in the second half of this year. The Apple supplier currently has 100,000 workers.

Pegatron’s hiring process seems to be in line with Foxconn’s. The Taiwan tech giant has been increasing its assembly line work force in Central China, in preparation for manufacturing the next-generation iPhone.

As we previously reported, Foxconn has reportedly added about 10,000 assembly-line workers in Zhengzou, its major production facility for iPhones.