Shipping times for Apple's latest smartphone has been reduced by a couple weeks.
When the iPhone 5 made its debut back in September, demand was at an all time high. Preorders for the smartphone led to the shipping times to be almost a month long. The demand ultimately gave Apple great sales as it sold five million units in its first full weekend.
According to 9to5Mac, the shipping time has been reduced from 'three to four weeks' to now 'two to three weeks.'
However, the demand for the iPhone 5 was not the only reason for the long delays, but also due to production.
An official from the Hon Hai Precision Industry Company based in Taiwan and with offices across China deals with the iPhone 5's production with their trade name Foxconn Technology Group.
“The iPhone 5 is the most difficult device that Foxconn has ever assembled. To make it light and thin, the design is very complicated,” said an official from Hon Hai who declined to be named to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). “It takes time to learn how to make this new device. Practice makes perfect. Our productivity has been improving day by day.”
The Hon Hai official added that the company is addressing scratching issues on the iPhone 5 by implementing a "new quality check procedure to reduce the chance of damages," according to the WSJ.
The official added that the new metal coating has been a problem for factory workers along with other "quality issues," notably those in the Zhengzhou factory, the major production facility for the iPhone 5. Despite the problems, Hon Hai is still hiring workers to meet Apple's demand.
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