Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry) has reportedly landed orders for the assembly of second-generation iPhones from Apple supporting 3G, with shipments to begin in June this year, the Chinese-language Commercial Times has quoted sources at foreign institutional investors in Taipei as indicating.
The Commercial Times also cited sources at component suppliers as saying they have been instructed by Apple to begin preparing material supplies by the end of May.
Shipments of the 3G iPhone are expected to top three million units in June with the model likely to ship a total of 24-25 million units throughout its life-cycle, the paper added.
Reports of a 3G version iPhone are all unconfirmed at present, although industry watchers are fairly confident an announcement will be made at or around Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference 2008 (WWDC 2008) in June based on the current high market demand for the device, plus the proposed timing of the announcement, approximately one year after Apple launched the first-generation iPhone, is characteristic for the company.
Foxconn is currently the sole manufacturer of first-generation iPhones.
