Months ahead of fall launches, Apple supply chain partner Foxconn has started hiring a small army of assemblers to build the iPhone 18 Pro. Each summer, the supply chain prepares for the annual iPhone mass production ramp-up, and that process is underway in China. According to *China Securities Journal* via *MyDrivers* on July 22, the iPhone 18 series has entered mass production stage, with Foxconn and others rapidly growing their workforce.

For the Zhengzhou facility that serves as the main production hub in China, output can reach hundreds of thousands of iPhones per day. With iPhones hitting shelves less than two weeks after launch, Foxconn must reach peak output by late August. In August 2025, Foxconn offered bonuses up to $1,113 to new hires who stayed three months, and similar incentives are expected this summer.

One major difference this year: Apple is rumored to split iPhone 18 releases. Fall launches will include Pro models and the iPhone Fold, while non-Pro models arrive in spring 2027. This lets the supply chain focus on Pro models during the holiday peak, then shift to non-Pro variants two quarters later. As Apple's first year under this timeline, manufacturing levels will likely match 2025 but sustain longer across the year.