Now the SlashGear team love tech in all its myriad forms, but even we’d have trouble mustering too much enthusiasm for a SIM tray. However, we’ll make a semi-exception for a tray tipped to slot into Apple’s fourth-gen iPhone or “iTablet”; according to ChinaOnTrade, this part – which they claim to have directly sourced from Foxconn, already fingered as a potential Apple Tablet manufacturer – will go on sale October 23rd for $14.05.
Another day, another Apple Tablet rumor, and yet another tipped screen size. Contrasting from the previous leaky speculation that the upcoming media-centric device would have a 10.7-inch panel, comes DigiTimes’ usual shadowy market sources suggesting a 10.6-inch display and putting Foxconn at the manufacturing helm. They’re claiming that Foxconn will begin delivering the Apple Tablet to the Cupertino company in Q1 2010, with initial shipments expected to be in the region of 300,000 to 400,000 units.
Another week has come and gone and we are a week closer that that wondrous day parents look forward to all summer — back to school! Lots of goings on this week and much of it was centered on mobile phones. Spotify announced that it would have an official app available on the iPhone that works for subscribers on Premium packages. Monday, a bit more light was shed on the much anticipated Android donut update, alas it’s said to not be the OS 2.0 update we hoped for and won’t have multitouch.
News earlier this week that Foxconn had reportedly given around $44,000 compensation plus an Apple laptop to the family and girlfriend of Sun Danyong, the engineer who committed suicide after losing an iPhone prototype, was met with disappointment at what was seen to be an unfairly low amount. Now an anonymous company official has revealed that Sun’s parents will be paid not only a 360,000 yuan lump sum ($52,600) but a further 30,000 yuan ($4,385) every year until they die.
The September launch speculation for Apple’s tablet – aka the Apple Media Pad - continues, with Chinese newspaper Apple Daily reporting that Wintek have won the contract for the touchscreen device’s display, while Dynapack ITC will be supplying the battery. The paper goes on to describe the device as having a 10-inch display and 3G connectivity, tipping its launch at the same time as Apple’s iPod refresh in September.
The Foxconn iPhone prototype suicide story continues, with the NY Times suggesting that the company has given ex-employee Sun Danyong’s family the equivalent of more than $44,000 together with an Apple laptop to his girlfriend. However the Foxconn security official accused of mistreating Sun maintains that he merely “became a little angry” and grabbed the engineers shoulder, while Foxconn themselves claim that Sun had “lost” and then rediscovered multiple prototypes before.
Well another week has come and gone as time steadily marches on and like every other week here on SlashGear, it has been a busy one. Poor old Toshiba took the old adage “if you can’t beat them, join them” seriously on Monday and announced that it would be launching its own Blu-ray player by the end of 2009. That had to be hard to swallow for the execs who bet it all on HD DVD only to be defeated by Blu-ray. Also on Monday the slick HP Mini 5101 netbooks tipped up starting from $399. I’m not convinced we need another netbook on the market right now personally.
The Apple/Foxconn saga continues, and after the official statement from Cupertino yesterday tipped “investigations” into the death of 25-year old Foxconn engineer Sun Danyong there are now reports that a security official working for the majority stakeholder in the manufacturer has been suspended and handed over to Chinese government authorities. In an official statement from Foxconn, they confirmed that the Hon Hai security official – identified only by his surname, Gu – has been turned in, and that the company “welcomes public discussion” on how they might improve their management.
After news yesterday that a Foxconn employee in China had committed suicide after losing a valuable iPhone prototype, Apple have released a comment. Talking to CNET, Apple spokesperson Kristin Huguet said “We are saddened by the tragic loss of this young employee, and we are awaiting results of the investigations into his death. We require our suppliers to treat all workers with dignity and respect.”
A Foxconn employee in China has committed suicide, after a fourth-gen Apple iPhone prototype he was entrusted with went missing. 25 year-old Sun Danyong worked in the company’s product communications department, and was responsible for shipping prototypes from Foxconn to Apple. Having reported the missing handset, Sun’s apartment was illegally searched by Foxconn employees and he was, according to unsubstantiated allegations, detained and physically abused. On Thursday July 16th, just after 3am, he jumped from the window of his apartment.
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