Apparently Pegatron has been contracted to build CDMA iPhones for Apple and has hired over 10,000 new employees to help build some 10 million units in 2011. Pegatron has confirmed the mass hiring, but is only saying the new staff will help with its smartphone manufacturing, according to DigiTimes.
Jason Chang, Pegatron’s CEO, also said he expects to see a sharp increase in revenue during the first quarter in 2011.
Word that Pegatron will start building CDMA iPhones made its way to DigiTimes via parts suppliers, and not from within the company.
Apple’s iPhone 4: Is CDMA on the way?
Building CDMA-compatible iPhones would let Apple branch out from GSM-based cell service providers such as AT&T. Currently, the iPhone only supports wireless carriers that use GSM technology, which isn’t compatible with the CDMA tech that companies like Verizon use.
While it’s possible Pegatron will be building CDMA iPhones, there’s no guarantee they’ll find their way to Verizon. So far, the carrier hasn’t shown any signs of giving in and allowing Apple to have the kind of control it’s used to with other carriers, and Apple isn’t likely to let Verizon have the kind of strangle hold control over the iPhone the carrier gets with other smartphones.
Assuming CDMA iPhones are going into production, it’s likely that they’re destined for markets in countries like China and India.
For now, the DigiTimes report should be taken with a grain of salt since Apple hasn’t confirmed CDMA-compatible iPhones are on the way.