Foxconn hires more assembly line workers to help Apple meet its lofty iPhone 16 goal

It's that time of the year again when Foxconn starts hiring more workers to help it man the assembly lines at its largest factory in Zhengzhou. Yes, that means that the iPhone 16 series will soon undergo mass production to be ready for the traditional September launch. These new hires can look forward to making 25 yuan an hour ($3.44 based on the latest foreign exchange rates). Workers who were previously employed at the Zhengzhou factory also receive a bonus of up to 7,500 yuan ($1,032) according to recruitment posts circulated by Foxconn.

This is an improvement over the pay package that Foxconn's "A" unit, which is the contract manufacturer's main iPhone production team, offered potential factory workers last month. That package included a bonus of as much as 6,000 yuan ($826). Foxconn is also raising the pay for workers at its Shenzhen campus to between 21 and 22 yuan ($2.89-$3.03) an hour for temporary workers. This is also being done in preparation for the mass production of the iPhone 16 line.

The Shenzhen factory is trying to get former employees to return for the iPhone production season by offering them a monthly salary of up to 6,000 yuan ($826) for the first three months. Workers who stay at Foxconn for longer than the new iPhone manufacturing season will be entitled to receive a pay hike down the road. This is based on a job recruitment poster posted at the factory.

Apple reportedly believes that Apple Intelligence will lead to stronger demand for the iPhone 16 series and that 90 million to 100 million units will be sold during 2024 compared to the 81 million iPhone 15 series units it rang up in 2023. This year we expect to see a 6.1-inch iPhone 16, an iPhone 16 Plus with a 6.7-inch display, a  larger 6.3-inch display for the iPhone 16 Pro, and a new 6.9-inch display for the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Production of the displays for the 2024 iPhones started last month.

All four iPhone 16 models will support Apple Intelligence and since only the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will also run Apple's AI features, we could see a large surge in upgrades from those who own the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, and older models. And all of that business should keep Foxconn's assembly line workers busy for months to come.