Foxconn to Suppliers: iPad 2 Production (and Next iPhone?) Will Not Be Delayed Due to Explosion

5740110700 a1c1c2ed5b o 1Photo via MIC Gadget

Beyond the obvious human toll of last week's Foxconn factory explosion, there's been speculation about how the incident may affect Apple's iPad 2 production.

Some analysts have already suggested that the production impact should be minimal, but now China Times is reporting more definitively that the iPad would not be affected based on comments from Foxconn to suppliers.

Sources said the explosion at Foxconn Technology Group’s Chengdu plant did not affect the assembly line of iPad. Foxconn assured major suppliers at an online meeting yesterday that under the principle of “orders placed and goods delivered as usual”, the production of iPad 2 would not be delayed and related iPhone devices and new iPad products would still be in mass production in the third quarter.

"Related iPhone devices and new iPad products" appears to be sufficiently vague, but Apple, of course, is expected to launch a new iPhone around September this year which is likely to be manufactured by Foxconn.

The explosion which rocked Foxconn's factory on Friday night killed 3 people and left 15 injured. Apple has issued a statement expressing their condolences to the victims and family and that they are investigating the event.

Popular Stories

Apple Glass

Apple Smart Glasses: Everything We Know So Far

Wednesday May 21, 2025 8:21 am PDT by
Google recently made waves by showcasing a set of lightweight smart glasses featuring deep Gemini integration and an optional in-lens display. The demo has reignited interest in Apple's own smart glasses project, which has been the subject of rumors for nearly a decade. Here's a recap of where things stand. Current Development Status Apple is actively working on new chips specifically...
Apple Glasses Purple Feature

Apple Smart Glasses Launching in 2026

Thursday May 22, 2025 12:22 pm PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a set of smart glasses by the end of 2026, reports Bloomberg. The glasses will be comparable to the Meta Ray-Bans and the Android XR glasses that Google showed off earlier this week. Apple's smart glasses are expected to include cameras, microphones, and AI capabilities, much like the Meta Ray-Bans. The glasses will be able to take photos, record video, provide...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's CarPlay Ultra Is Here – Does Your iPhone Support It?

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:17 am PDT by
Apple's recently announced CarPlay Ultra promises a deeply integrated in-car experience, but not all iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new feature. According to Apple's press release, CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. This means if you're using an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, or any older model, you'll need to upgrade your device to access...
maxresdefault

OpenAI Buys Jony Ive's AI Startup to 'Completely Reimagine What It Means to Use a Computer'

Wednesday May 21, 2025 10:27 am PDT by
OpenAI is acquiring io, the hardware-based AI startup co-created by Jony Ive, OpenAI announced today. Ive has been working with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on io for two years, and the duo expects to develop a family of AI devices. In a video shared by OpenAI, Altman and Ive outlined their partnership and what they expect to create as a result of the merger. "I have a growing sense that everything ...
WWDC 2025 Banner

Apple Announces WWDC 2025 Schedule, Including Keynote Time

Tuesday May 20, 2025 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today announced a more detailed schedule for its annual developers conference WWDC, which runs from June 9 through June 13. The schedule confirms that Apple's keynote will begin on Monday, June 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, with a live stream to be available on Apple.com, in the Apple TV app, and on YouTube. During the keynote, Apple is expected to announce iOS 19, iPadOS 19, macOS 16,...
iPod shuffle generations

Kuo: Jony Ive's Futuristic OpenAI Device Like a Neck-Worn iPod Shuffle

Thursday May 22, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The big news in the technology world this week is that ChatGPT maker OpenAI is working more closely with Apple's former design chief Jony Ive on a futuristic AI device. The company is remaining tight lipped about the device, but Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has shared some alleged details about its design. In a social media post today, Kuo said the device will be "slightly larger" ...
macOS 16 visionOS Inspired Feature 1

macOS 16: Everything We Know So Far

Tuesday May 20, 2025 7:31 am PDT by
The Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple's annual developer and software-oriented event, is less than three weeks away. We haven't heard a great deal about macOS 16 ahead of its announcement this year, so we could be in for some major surprises when June 9 rolls around. Here's what we know so far about the next major update to Apple's Mac operating system. macOS 16 Name? Every year ...

Top Rated Comments

BigPrince Avatar
183 months ago
Well they are certainly NOT going to get up on stage and state that production WILL be affected...which would immediately:

1)drop Foxconn's stock
2)drop Apple's stock
3)cast doubts (inside Apple and other customers) on why Foxconn doesn't have a backup plan

It would be nice (for Foxconn) if production will not be affected but it seems crazy to think so...an explosion that kills 3 and injures dozens?...that's at least going to shut the plant down for days (weeks?) as investigations happen...then they have to rebuild the plant.
Maybe there would be an investigation that would perhaps "shut down" a plant if this was the US....

and most customers have no idea whatsoever that some plant in China "exploded" or what the heck "Foxconn" is
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MH01 Avatar
183 months ago
Take a friggin guess,

People who want to buy one maybe? Like me FFS!

Why am I meant to give a **** about someone I don't even know

Yeah, lets not worry about people having thier lives potentially at risk, as long as the *******s get thier Ipads ASAP!

Hey good news! I do not know you! Enjoy the delay!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ChrisA Avatar
183 months ago
it seems crazy to think so...an explosion that kills 3 and injures dozens?...that's at least going to shut the plant down for days (weeks?) as investigations happen....

The plant is the size of a city. tens of thousands of people work there. It may likely be this explosion was in a store room where they keep paint Likely not even near where Apple products are made.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Consultant Avatar
183 months ago
You seem to be under the assumption that Foxconn only has one plant, and that that one plant only makes ipad 2s.

For scale, it looks like Foxconn had nearly 1 million employees in 2010.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxconn

arn

And also the Shenzhen factories are the main iPad 2 factories.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
arn Avatar
183 months ago
It would be nice (for Foxconn) if production will not be affected but it seems crazy to think so...an explosion that kills 3 and injures dozens?...that's at least going to shut the plant down for days (weeks?) as investigations happen...then they have to rebuild the plant.

You seem to be under the assumption that Foxconn only has one plant, and that that one plant only makes ipad 2s.

For scale, it looks like Foxconn had nearly 1 million employees in 2010.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxconn

arn
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ericinboston Avatar
183 months ago
Well they are certainly NOT going to get up on stage and state that production WILL be affected...which would immediately:

1)drop Foxconn's stock
2)drop Apple's stock
3)cast doubts (inside Apple and other customers) on why Foxconn doesn't have a backup plan

It would be nice (for Foxconn) if production will not be affected but it seems crazy to think so...an explosion that kills 3 and injures dozens?...that's at least going to shut the plant down for days (weeks?) as investigations happen...then they have to rebuild the plant.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)