The iPhone 5 is pretty much definitely in development – new Apple devices never stay secret for long and the demand for this new handset has been absolutely astronomical.
However, it may surprise you to learn that the demand for an iPhone built with ethics in mind is also very important to a large majority of users – with over 40,000 fans signing a petition asking for the new Apple handset to be built in the very best conditions.
Foxconn, the company responsible for large amounts of Apple manufacturing, is not exactly well known for it’s outstanding HR departments. Stories often leak from the factory of suicides, employees being worked to the bone and of course, explosions – all things that Apple fans, generally being middle class and socially conscious, don’t particularly like to think about when they’re browsing the net on their new iPhone.
Apple are disputing the claims of this petition though, stating that conditions are not as bad as the document makes out. “Every year we inspect more factories, raising the bar for our partners and going deeper into the supply chain” say Apple, who it should be pointed out perform many of the audits that bring the various employment abuses to light.
Many will argue that Apple need to manufacture these items cheaply in order to provide consumers with a decent price, but many people claim that Apple apply what’s known as “Apple tax” to their prices – an extra premium, simply because the product bears the name.
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