Foxconn Recruiter Claims Hiring Spree Boosting Production for June iPhone 5 Launch

Mac Otakara points to a news report [Google translation] from TV Tokyo's World Business Satellite in which a Foxconn recruiter claims that the company is hiring 18,000 new workers to support production of the iPhone 5. According to the recruiter, the device is planned to launch in June.

tv tokyo foxconn recruiter
TV Tokyo reporter talking to Foxconn reporter

The exchange took place at Foxconn's plant in the suburbs of Taiyuan, China, where 80,000 workers are already employed. The brief clip of the reporter talking to the Foxconn recruiter appears just over seven minutes into the news segment.


It appears unlikely that a recruiter would be specifically provided with information on Apple's device launch plans, although knowing something of Foxconn's hiring goals and targeted job needs could offer them insight into the production roadmap.

While there have been a few reports indicating that Apple could return to its mid-year launch timeframe with the next-generation iPhone, many observers believe that an interval of just 8-9 months from the iPhone 4S debut is too short for Apple's liking and development cycle. Consequently, a repeat of the later September-October timeframe as occurred last year has been seen as the most likely scenario for a 2012 iPhone launch.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

Friday January 2, 2026 4:33 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far. Size Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
govee floor lamp

CES 2026: Govee Announces New Matter-Connected Ceiling and Floor Lights

Sunday January 4, 2026 5:00 am PST by
Govee today introduced three new HomeKit-compatible lighting products, including the Govee Floor Lamp 3, the Govee Ceiling Light Ultra, and the Govee Sky Ceiling Light. The Govee Floor Lamp 3 is the successor to the Floor Lamp 2, and it offers Matter integration with the option to connect to HomeKit. The Floor Lamp 3 offers an upgraded LuminBlend+ lighting system that can reproduce 281...
Belkin 25W Battery magnetic

CES 2026: Belkin Announces Magnetic Ring Power Bank, Modular Dock, and More

Sunday January 4, 2026 3:02 pm PST by
Belkin today announced a range of new charging and connectivity accessories at CES 2026, expanding its portfolio of products aimed at Apple device users. UltraCharge Pro Power Bank 10K with Magnetic Ring The lineup includes new Qi2 and Qi2.2 wireless chargers, magnetic power banks, a high-capacity laptop battery, and USB-C productivity accessories, with an emphasis on higher charging...
airpods pro 3 glitter

AirPods New Year's Deals Include Up to $99 Off AirPods Max, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Sunday January 4, 2026 8:04 am PST by
Now that the calendar has flipped over into January, steep discounts on popular Apple products have become more rare after the holidays. However, if you didn't get a new pair of AirPods recently and are looking for a model on sale, Amazon does have a few solid second-best prices this week. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...

Top Rated Comments

Intarweb Avatar
180 months ago
The hiring spree is to make up the hours lost that they were forced to cut from workers over-time.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
5aga Avatar
180 months ago
a June release would be nice.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Brad9893 Avatar
180 months ago
Shouldn't it be the "new iPhone"?
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iDisk Avatar
180 months ago
Easy Rumor Bust

Its simple, if a iOS 6 beta gets released sometime this month to the public, then the next gen iPhone could be expected at WWDC.

If iOS 6 is released at WWDC or around that time, then expect the fall release.

Apple not Foxconn will signal when the next iPhone will launch.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TallGuy1970 Avatar
180 months ago
June! June! June! June!

I have no information to support this. I just hope it's true! :D
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tinyluph Avatar
180 months ago
they need to launch the 5 w/ LTE already

after the lukewarm update that was the 4S

June would push them even further ahead of the competition

The lukewarm update that achieved record sales? ;)
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)