Foxconn's 'Foxbot' Robots to Play Supporting Role in Factories - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Foxconn's 'Foxbot' Robots to Play Supporting Role in Factories

Over the weekend, it was reported that Foxconn would be soon deploying its own "Foxbot" robots to its factories to help assemble devices, with CEO Terry Gou noting that Apple would be the first use the service. Now, Taiwan's United Daily News (Google Translate, via GforGames) is sharing more details on the assembly robots, stating that they will play a supporting role in Foxconn's factories alongside employees.

foxconn-iphone_production
According to the paper, the assembly robots will be used for less intensive tasks such as tightening screws and positioning exterior components for polishing. Foxconn factory employees will still be responsible for more important tasks such as quality control and general assembly, however the company expects its robots to help greatly with device yield and output.

Foxconn is reportedly on track to deploy 10,000 robots to its factories, with each robot costing anywhere from $20,000 to $25,000 to make. The company has recently gone on a hiring spree ahead of the launch of Apple's iPhone 6 this fall, bringing on 100,000 new workers to help assemble the device.

The iPhone 6 is expected to launch this September, and will come in two sizes of 4.7-inches and 5.5-inches. In addition to a larger display, the device will also likely feature a thinner profile, an improved camera, a faster A8 processor, and more.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Chase Sapphire Reserve Apple Perk Feature

New 'Apple One' Perk Extends to Chase's Sapphire Reserve Credit Card

Tuesday June 16, 2026 6:26 am PDT by
Yesterday, we reported that Chase's Sapphire Preferred credit card ($95 annual fee) now offers a complimentary one-year Apple TV streaming subscription, or a $7.50/month discount on an active Apple One subscription instead. It turns out that the Apple One discount now extends to Chase's premium Sapphire Reserve credit card too ($795 annual fee). The Sapphire Reserve has offered free...
Chase Sapphire Reserve Apple Perk Feature

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Introduces New Perk for Apple Customers

Monday June 15, 2026 12:07 pm PDT by
Chase this week announced new perks for its Sapphire Preferred credit card, and one of them is a complimentary one-year Apple TV streaming subscription. To get the free year of Apple TV, which typically costs $12.99 per month in the U.S., you must activate the card by December 31, 2026. If you are already subscribed to Apple TV directly through Apple, the complimentary subscription from...
Dynamic Island iPhone 18 Pro Feature

12 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday June 18, 2026 2:17 am PDT by
We're only three months out from the launch of Apple's premium next-generation smartphone lineup, and while we're not expecting a sea change in terms of functionality, there are still several enhancements rumored to be coming to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth noting is that Apple is reportedly planning a major change to its iPhone release cycle this year, adopting a ...

Top Rated Comments

Oohara Avatar
156 months ago
Shouldn't they be using them to double down on secrecy instead?

Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Reason077 Avatar
156 months ago
Foxconn's 'Foxbot' Robots to Play Supporting Role in Factories
I think we can all see where this is going.

Sure, they may say they're playing a "supporting" role for now, but by the time the iPhone 7 rolls around, it'll be the robots running the show and telling the humans what to do.

Then by the iPhone 8, the robots will realise that all humans are inefficient and unnecessary....

Then, they'll start wondering why they're bothering to make iPhones at all. Robots don't need phones. Do humans even really need phones? Do dead humans need phones? ...
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
s2mikey Avatar
156 months ago
As long as a few big shareholders are happy, that's all that really matters.:rolleyes:
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
keysofanxiety Avatar
156 months ago
I think some of these robots were trialled on the board of Apple first and now Apple are selling them to Foxconn at a massive margin.

There is no way Jony Ive can be human with that contrived and scripted drivel he always comes out with.

Well, to ... create this scripted drivel ... we analysed the most used words ... and ... using an algorithm produced a simple, unapologetic dialogue ...

Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
156 months ago
The Chinese workers are training their replacements. That should give them great moral.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
156 months ago
I think some of these robots were trialled on the board of Apple first and now Apple are selling them to Foxconn at a massive margin.

There is no way Jony Ive can be human with that contrived and scripted drivel he always comes out with.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)