According to the report, Apple's iPhone 5 smartphone global shipments reached 27.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2012, a staggering 12.6% share of shipments and for the first time to become the world's best-selling smartphone. Apple also sold 17.4 million iPhone 4S units taking an additional 8%. The report further noted that these were staggering numbers considering that Apple currently doesn't offer an entry-level priced smartphone.

Today's report appears to fly in the face of a Financial Times report filed this morning that states the Foxconn's hiring freeze "underscores the weakening demand for some Apple products, which has put pressure on the US Company’s battered share price."

However, it's traditional for tech companies to have production slowdown in Q1 after the big holiday sales season in Q4 of the previous year. Secondly, it's a well-established fact that Hon Hai (Foxconn) is beginning to introduce a robotic workforce to produce the iPhone. In fact, a new Apple patent application published just last week shows that Apple has invented one of the robotic parts for such production. It appears that the Financial Times may be jumping to conclusions with their latest report and spinning the facts to put Apple in bad light.  





Source: Tencent China