Technology: Apple will cut 50 percent of jobs in the final assembly line of iPhone

Technology: As part of a significant shift towards automation, Apple Foxconn is planning to cut its iPhone final assembly lines by up to 50 percent over the next few years. This strategic move, revealed in a report by The Information, suggests that the company wants to improve efficiency in its manufacturing processes and reduce its reliance on human labor. The directive to cut jobs was reportedly issued by Apple’s senior vice president of operations Sabih Khan after violent protests broke out outside Foxconn’s primary assembly plant in Zhengzhou, China in November 2022. The unrest has also caused widespread supply disruptions to Apple’s

The series exposed the weaknesses of its heavy reliance on human labour, leading to a re-evaluation of its production strategies. As part of its strategy, Apple is reportedly accelerating its efforts to automate various aspects of the iPhone assembly process. This includes restarting previously stalled automation projects. The automation machinery required for these processes requires large investments, costing hundreds of millions of dollars annually. The report suggests that Apple has encouraged its manufacturing partners such as Foxconn, Luxshare Precision and Pegatron to invest in this upfront. The move towards automation has already shown significant results as Apple has already entered this business.

Data from Apple’s annual supply chain report shows a reduction in the workforce it monitors for work-hour compliance, from 1.6 million in 2022 to 1.4 million in 2023. The reduction reflects the early impact of Apple’s effort to reduce human involvement in its production lines. Apple’s vice president of operations Peter Thompson is leading the automation initiatives. His

The team has made great progress over the past year, successfully implementing machines that can install metal brackets and flexible printed circuit boards without human assistance. According to the report, these technological advancements have enabled Apple and its partners to eliminate thousands of jobs in China, with some processes seeing a reduction in the number of employees by up to 30 percent. Adding to its automation capabilities, Apple has made strategic acquisitions such as DarwinAI and Drishti. DarwinAI’s artificial intelligence expertise and real-time video analysis of vision of assembly lines are crucial in identifying production bottlenecks and improving the efficiency of Apple’s manufacturing processes. However, the path to full automation is fraught with challenges. For example, Apple’s plan to automate the installation of buttons and other components for the iPhone 16 was abandoned due to high defect rates. Despite these setbacks, Apple’s long-term goal is clear: to reduce the number of workers on its final assembly lines by half.

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