InstitutionClaim Cited
Foxconn at Zhengzhou: the iPhone ramp and the limits of closed-loop production
Zhengzhou's ‘iPhone City’ joined Apple's product calendar, Foxconn's manufacturing system, local-government infrastructure, labor agencies, and a vast migrant workforce. During the 2022 iPhone 14 Pro ramp, workers' flight and protest showed how readily production volatility moved into pay, housing, health, and freedom of movement—and how weakly workers' reports changed the ramp until departures and protest disrupted production.
How did a product launch schedule travel through Apple, Foxconn, local government, labor brokers, dormitories, and migrant workers—and where, if anywhere, could workers use their knowledge to change it?