Apple supplier Foxconn Technology Group has raised the pay and bonus packages for new recruits working at the world’s largest iPhone factory in Zhengzhou, capital of central Henan province, several months before the US tech giant launches the next generation of its flagship device.

From Monday, new employees will be entitled to receive bonuses of up to 3,000 yuan (US$424) for at least 90 days of work at the factory, while drawing an hourly pay of up to 21 yuan, according to a WeChat post on Saturday by Foxconn’s integrated Digital Product Business Group, which is responsible for iPhone production.

Foxconn’s Zhengzhou facility, which can house some 200,000 workers, is gearing up for another hectic production run this year ahead of Apple’s expected release of the new iPhone 15 models this September.

The higher pay and bonus packages for workers in Zhengzhou underscore electronics contract manufacturer Foxconn’s commitment to continue assembling iPhones in the city, despite the ongoing shift of Apple’s manufacturing supply chain away from China.

The report further noted that Foxconn's opening of a new global business base in Zhengzhou in April, part of efforts to bolster its commitment to the Chinese market. For more, read the full report by South China's Morning Post's Coco feng.

Last November Patently Apple posted a report titled "A Wild Riot has broken out at Foxconn's Largest iPhone Plant in Zhengzhou City over Working Conditions and reported delays in Bonus Pay." Days later we posted a follow-up report titled " Apple now has a Team on the ground at the Foxconn Plant in Zhengzhou to ensure that Employees' Concerns are fully Addressed." China's strict COVID lockdown hurt many companies including Apple. Foxconn will go all-out this year to ensure that iPhone 15 production goes smoothly. As part of the fallout from the riots, Apple, for the first time, granted Luxshare production rights to the iPhone 16 Pro Max in India in 2024.