Dying for an Iphone · Apple, Foxconn, and the Lives of China's Workers (9781642592047)

Dying for an iPhone situates contemporary Chinese labor politics in the dynamism of state capitalism and global electronics production. It extends from a decade of development "inside Foxconn" to linking worker struggles to the business practices of major tech brands, thus contributing to a deeper understanding of the multilayered pressures faced by workers at key nodes of transnational manufacturing. Specifically, Apple, given its position at the commanding heights of both hardware and software and its ability to influence consumer choices, has remained in the driver's seat setting the terms and conditions for Foxconn and, in turn, for its workers. The American giant captures the lion's share of value in branding, design, app development and sale while claiming that labor conflicts are the exclusive responsibility of subcontractors like Foxconn. Our research offers insights about ICT (information and communications technology), labor studies and organizational analysis, while telling the story through interviews with workers, managers and governmental officials. Hence it differs from the following: