Apple Returns 5-8 Million Defective iPhones to Foxconn?

iphone_5_lteAccording to reports over the weekend from China Business [Google translation] and China Times [Google translation], Apple last month returned at least five million and perhaps as many as eight million iPhones to manufacturing partner Foxconn due to defects in either appearance or operation.

The reports indicate that it will cost Foxconn roughly 200 yuan ($32) per device to correct the issues with the defective iPhones, resulting in a charge of as much as 1.6 billion yuan ($259 million) to address the problem. It is unclear which iPhone models are affected by the issues, but Apple does not appear to be suffering from major shortages of any of its current devices.

The iPhone 5 suffered from quality control issues following its launch, with a number of customers complaining of scratches and other issues with their devices even right out of the box. Foxconn executives acknowledged that the iPhone 5 was a difficult device to assemble, with increased quality control standards contributing to production output below the company's goals.

As a result, it took Apple two and a half months to achieve supply-demand balance for the device, although the company was also pursuing its most aggressive worldwide rollout yet.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.4 and iOS 27 Features Revealed in New Leak

Friday December 12, 2025 10:56 am PST by
Macworld's Filipe Espósito today revealed a handful of features that Apple is allegedly planning for iOS 26.4, iOS 27, and even iOS 28. The report said the features are referenced within the code for a leaked internal build of iOS 26 that is not meant to be seen by the public. However, it appears that Espósito and/or his sources managed to gain access to it, providing us with a sneak peek...
Apple Logo Top Half

Early iOS 26 Software Leak Uncovers Dozens of Upcoming Apple Features

Monday December 15, 2025 3:05 pm PST by
Software from an iPhone prototype running an early build of iOS 26 leaked last week, giving us a glimpse at future Apple devices and iOS features. We recapped device codenames in our prior article, and now we have a list of some of the most notable feature flags that were found in the software code. In some cases, it's obvious what the feature flags are referring to, while some are more...
apple beta 26 lineup

Apple Leak Confirms Work on Foldable iPhone, AirTag 2, and Dozens More Devices

Monday December 15, 2025 2:05 pm PST by
Last week, details about unreleased Apple devices and future iOS features were shared by Macworld. This week, we learned where the information came from, plus we have more findings from the leak. As it turns out, an Apple prototype device running an early build of iOS 26 was sold, and the person who bought it shared the software. The OS has a version number of 23A5234w, and the first...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Leak Reveals Foldable iPhone Details

Monday December 15, 2025 9:09 am PST by
The first foldable iPhone will feature a series of design and hardware firsts for Apple, according to details shared by the Weibo leaker known as Digital Chat Station. According to a new post, via machine translation, Apple is developing what the leaker describes as a "wide foldable" device, a term used to refer to a horizontally oriented, book-style foldable with a large internal display....
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 Beta 1 Features: What's New So Far

Monday December 15, 2025 4:23 pm PST by
Apple is testing iOS 26.3, the next version of iOS 26 that will launch around January. Since iOS 26.3's testing is happening over the holidays, it is a smaller update with fewer features than we've seen in prior betas. We've rounded up what's new so far, and we'll add to our list with subsequent betas if we come across any other features. Transfer to Android Apple is making it simpler...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.2 With Alarms for Reminders, Lock Screen Changes, Enhanced Safety Alerts and More

Friday December 12, 2025 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.2, the second major update to the iOS 26 operating system that came out in September, iOS 26.2 comes a little over a month after iOS 26.1 launched. ‌iOS 26‌.2 is compatible with the ‌iPhone‌ 11 series and later, as well as the second-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings >...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features on Your iPhone

Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon. Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week. iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
airpods max 2024 colors

AirPods Max 2 Likely to Offer These 10 New Features

Monday December 15, 2025 7:41 am PST by
Apple released the AirPods Max on December 15, 2020, meaning the over-ear headphones launched five years ago today. While the AirPods Max were updated with a USB-C port and new color options last year, followed by support for lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio this year, the headphones lack some of the features that have been introduced for newer generations of the regular AirPods and the ...

Top Rated Comments

HarryKeogh Avatar
165 months ago
Apple Inc.: I'd like to return these 8 million iPhones.

Foxconn: What's the problem?

Apple Inc.: There's a tiny scratch on some of them, a dead pixel on others...y'know, it's just when you spend several billion dollars you want them perfect.

Foxconn: Gotcha, let me talk to the manager and we'll see what we can do.

10 minutes later...

Foxconn: We can't exchange them but how about a $300,000,000 iTunes gift card?
Score: 44 Votes (Like | Disagree)
orthorim Avatar
165 months ago
I mean, I'm glad that Apple takes the customer experience enough to force their suppliers to get things right, but still, how does stuff like this happen at this stage in the game? This story comes right on the heels of news that production difficulties were pushing the launch of the 5S back several months. If there are problems that significant for a minor phone upgrade, what happens with a complete redesign for the iPhone 6? Come on, Apple, get your house in order!

Maybe Apple should go back to cheap plastic phones, like the others?

Seriously Apple insists on pushing the envelope, and I'd say at times that's bordering on the obsessive... scratch that, it *is* obsessive in a way that a lot of customers probably can't relate. But they do it, and they have the best looking phone by a mile, so you can't really argue with it.

Like the story of the MacBook Pro webcam. The designers wanted a green camera light when the camera is on, but they didn't want to have an ugly hole when its off. They wanted the light to shine through the aluminum. Well aluminum isn't translucent - but you can make a hole in it so small that the eye cannot see it to get the same effect. All you need is lasers. So Apple bought lasers for over $200M so its manufacturing partners can shoot tiny holes in the aluminum housing so there is no hole visible in the case.

I am sure there's stories like this about the iPhone 5, too. It's what makes it feel, as one review described it, "like a piece of jewelry". Like it was not assembled but formed from a single piece. Like a monolith. And it makes these hard or impossible to copy. You may have noticed there is not a single competitor that makes a phone this small with that many features. Because they can't.

That's why the manufacturers have so many problems making them. Not at all unusual for Apple.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppleScruff1 Avatar
165 months ago
8 million defective phones returned and no supply problem created. Does this mean that sales aren't strong?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mccldwll Avatar
165 months ago
I am glad I helped contribute towards this. I returned at least 30 iphone 5s. All had some sort of issue out of the box. I officially gave up and will be moving onto the Galaxy S4.


LOL. You have zero credibility. Here's an earlier post of your's (and that probably wasn't truthful either):

"Not true. Back in November I did exactly this. I think they let me get through at least 5 phones before saying no more. All had various issues from:
rattling sleep wake buttons
Crooked home..."
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rtomyj Avatar
165 months ago
The iPhone 5, beside the still un-understandable screen size decision, is a catastrophy.

I have a bump case, which is a failure in itself because it ads weight, size, and covers the iphone, and still there are many scratches on my iPhone 5.

Like many many people reporting it, my lock button is ****ed up (can't reach it since it's too low).

BUT the very worst is the so called "new more durable" cable and socket that is already ****ed as well, and I have to use a piece of paper for it to connect, only on one side (the other doesn't work anymore).

It goes without saying that I'm going to replace my iPhone, but I'm certainly not buying another one anymore, tired of this un-innovative, overpriced, piece of crap.

Here we have the vocal minority folks. Perfect example too. Firstly, I have a "perfect" iPhone 5 on my first try. The 16:9 screen is awkward at first but I really like it now. Second, you want a new phone but you don't like the weight a bump case adds to a very light phone? So your content with a heavier phone with a case on it just because its not Apple, right? Third, dropped my phone and guess what? Not a scratch (say what!). Use my lightning cable like crazy, with two devices and guess what? Not a nick on it (**** be cray cray!).

Finally, I had buddies ask me for phone advice. I gave them many options, iPhone, Droids, Windows, even BB. Why did they choose the iPhone. For the screen size, apps and many more things. How is Apple not innovating? Better question who is in your opinion, and why? Catch: first Google "Gimmick"
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GoCubsGo Avatar
165 months ago
"Apple Returns 5-8 Million Defective iPhones to Foxconn?"

Are you asking us or telling us? Yes, the rumor is they did return defective units according to a translated article from China Business. :D
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)