Foxconn, the chief manufacturer of iPhones, iPads, MacBooks
and other Apple (NASDAQ:
AAPL
) products, has confirmed that there were underage interns
working at the company. According to
Bloomberg
, the interns -- who ranged in age from 14 to 16 -- worked at the
company's Yantai facility located in Northeastern China. The
interns were sent by local schools and worked for the company for
approximately three weeks.
This news comes after months of reports that Foxconn still
employed underage workers and is one of many issues plaguing the
manufacturer.
Just days after the iPhone 5 was released in September,
Foxconn was forced to close one of its plants after
2,000 angry employees
started a riot. The plant
quickly reopened
but not before igniting a worldwide media storm that has
continued to cast dark shadows on the firm.
Many feared that other employees were
on the verge of rioting
, particularly after reports surfaced that Apple had raised its
expectations to ensure that the iPhone 5 was manufactured without
scratches and other noticeable flaws. Thus far the situation
seems to have remained under control.
Prior to the latest string of controversies, Foxconn made
headline news after CEO Terry Gou
stated
that the iPhone 5 would put its competitor -- Samsung's Galaxy S
III -- to shame.
Gou also garnered some attention after a Chinese website
reported that he
confirmed the existence
of Apple's first television. Three days after the report
surfaced, Foxconn management
denied its validity
and claimed that Gou never confirmed or spoke about an Apple-made
television.
Foxconn is rumored to be manufacturing a
seven-inch iPad
, which Apple is expected to unveil before the end of the month.
The device is believed to carry at least one unique feature not
contained within the third-generation iPad and will ship in
limited quantities
for an
unconfirmed price
of $320. This price tag has raised some concerns about the
pricing structure of the new iPod Touch, which starts at $299.
That device was initially thought to have
prevented Apple from building
an iPad Mini. Many analysts expected Apple to release a smaller
iPad anyway, if only to prevent Amazon (NASDAQ:
AMZN
), Google (NASDAQ:
GOOG
), Barnes & Noble (NYSE:
BKS
) and other competitors from gaining a larger share of the
market.
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