Last week, it was reported that Apple was looking to open a research and development center in Taiwan focused on technology for future iPhones, but at the time no such positions had been posted to Apple's jobs website.
But as noted today by Digitimes, Apple has over the past week been adding job postings for hardware engineering positions in Taipei engineers in Taiwan for various purposes. The report also indicates that Apple may establish a maintenance center in the country.
Apple has recently started hiring engineers in Taiwan and has posted positions such as senior packaging engineer, reliability engineering manager, senior software instrumentation engineer, senior AC-DC design engineer and sensing system hardware engineer on its website.
Apple is reportedly planning to establish an R&D team in Taiwan to develop products such as iPhone and has already attracted the attention of many IT engineers in Taiwan. Some market watchers even speculate that Apple may also establish a maintenance center for after-sales services.
The article also mentions that Taiwan is a favorable place for Apple to hire engineers because of high skill and low labor costs, and Apple already has favorable relationships with technology manufacturers in the country such as Foxconn Electronics and Pegatron Technology. It is also a possibility that Apple will form partnerships with other companies in the region such as Wistron and Compal Communications to lower costs and diversify production, according to the article.
Earlier this week, Digitimes also reported that Apple would be sending engineers to Taiwanese packaging firm Xintec to help increase the yield rate for fingerprint sensors to be used in the iPhone 5S, which is reported to be limited to 3-4 million units in Q3 2013 because of a shortage.
Apple will reportedly unveil the next-generation iPhone on September 10, but it is still unclear whether the event will focus singularly on the iPhone 5S or also include the announcement of the rumored low-cost iPhone.
