Foxconn Still Blaming iPhone 5 Design for Production Slowdown

Apple's iPhone 5 is a gorgeous looking smartphone, there's just no two ways about it. From its thin and light profile to its crystalline diamond-cut chamfers surrounding the 4-inch display, there's a high level of precision required to build the iPhone 5, and apparently that's making it difficult for Hon Hai Precision (Foxconn) to keep up with demand.

In fact, Hon Hai Precision Chairman Terry Gou told reporters that his company is shipping "far fewer" iPhone 5 models than Apple requested due to quality control issues, The Wall Street Journal reports. According to Gou, it ultimately comes down the iPhone 5's design that's causing production difficulties, though he stopped short of specifying exactly which features are causing problems on the assembly line.


Gou acknowledged that market demand for the iPhone 5 is strong, but added that Hon Hai Precision "just can't really fulfill Apple's requests."

The iPhone 5 jumped out of the gate to a fast start, selling more than 5 million units in just three days, Apple announced at the time. Apple hasn't updated its iPhone 5 sales figures since then, but it's a safe bet they've continued to sell well, albeit not without some issues.


Some users complained about the built-in camera, pointing out that it has a tendency to insert a purple hue when taking photos next to bright light sources. The iPhone 5 has also been criticized for the ease with which it attracts scratches. Perhaps a bit overblown, Saturday Night Live aired a skit that poked fun at all the iPhone 5 grievances (embedded above).