They say that Apple products are ridiculously overpriced. When you compare the prices to other competing products such as some Android phones and cheap Windows laptops this may seem to be true. However, a new report seems to indicate that the augmented pricing that comes with Apple products could be linked to something rather fundamental, quality control.
According to a new Bloomberg report, the iPhone production lines at Foxconn require 1,200 workers each while some of the Android production lines at the company require only 100 workers. The differentiating factor here is the quality control standards that Apple pushes Foxconn to apply to the iPhones it is producing. In fact, rather startlingly, according to 9to5Mac, sometimes as few as 60% of the iPhones being produced will actually pass the standards test Apple places upon them.
A key caveat here is that this difference in standards is not a universal metric that applies to all Android phones. Rather, it applies to some of the Android phones that Foxconn produces. As well as producing iPhones, Foxconn also produces some Chinese Android brands, which don’t employ such rigorous quality control standards as Apple does with the iPhone. What’s worth noting here is that it is the brand that sets the quality control standards rather than the factory so in essence the comparison here is between Apple and other lesser-known Chinese smartphone manufacturers.
The Bloomberg report follows a change of CEO at Foxconn following the recent unstable environment in China causing disruptions to Foxconn’s supply lines. Interestingly then, while the quality control standards may be different, both these lesser-known Chinese smartphone manufacturers and Apple still have to deal with the same logistical realities. This could represent a strategic weakness for Apple moving forward particularly with tensions raising between China and Taiwan for example.
In conclusion then, while it may appear that Apple products are overpriced when compared to other competing products, it seems that the augmented pricing could be linked to the rigorous quality control standards that Apple holds its suppliers to. This is because iPhones require 12 times as many workers on its production lines than some Android phones.
To check out the leaked specs of upcoming Android phones, read our report on the charging options of the OnePlus 11 and our look at the ridiculous camera that should come with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
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