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Foxconn says iPhone 5 is the most difficult device it has ever built

Updated Oct 21st, 2012 4:07PM EDT
China Mobile iPhone 5

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Still can’t get an iPhone 5? It might be Apple’s (AAPL) fault and not just a display production shortage. According to The Wall Street Journal, a Foxconn official who wished to remain anonymous said the “iPhone 5 is the most difficult device that Foxconn has ever assembled” and even now, workers are still learning how to manufacture the smartphones to meet Apple’s high standards.

The anonymous Foxconn official went on to say that the iPhone 5 “uses a new coating material that makes it more susceptible to scratching” and that it is much more difficult to meet quality checks. Since the iPhone 5 launched last month, Apple has caught flak for shipping smartphones with scuffs and scratches on the devices.

“It’s always hard to satisfy both aesthetic needs and practical needs,” said the Foxconn official.

Foxconn made headlines again on Tuesday after it reported that it had discovered underage interns working at its Yantai facility in the Shandong Province in China.

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Raymond Wong is a technology reporter with a passion for cutting-edge gadgets and clean design. His writing has appeared on DVICE, Ubergizmo, G4TV, Yahoo News, NBC blogs. You might even have seen his videos on Xbox LIVE.