Quanta plans to hire 30,000 workers to cope with Apple’s manufacturing demands for the notebook, and its smartwatch

Jan 13, 2015 09:21 GMT  ·  By

An all-new MacBook Air with a redesigned body, a higher-resolution display and fewer ports is in the works at Quanta Computer, a Taiwan-based ODM (original device manufacturer) and a partner of Apple’s.

Sources in the supply chain told DigiTimes that Quanta Computer is hiring aggressively ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year holidays, planning to beef up staff by as many as 30,000 extra workers to churn out enough devices for Apple. The supplier will not only make the rumored new MacBook Air, but also the Apple Watch.

Q1 launch window for the Notebook

Sources in the Taiwan supply chain reportedly said that “ODM Quanta Computer has begun volume production of the new 12-inch MacBook Air, paving the way for Apple to launch the device in the first quarter of 2015.”

This can be anywhere between March, when Apple is expected to hold a launch event for the Apple Watch’s physical debut, and mid-summer, when the Worldwide Developers Conference kicks in every year, also marked by a special event that starts with a keynote presentation.

The computer is expected to sport a 12-inch Retina display and will most likely replace the existing 11-inch model, according to the sources. Apple plans to retain the 13-inch model, the sources said. According to the latest rumors, the 12-inch model will do away with most of the current ports, and will feature just a jack audio plug, two microphones (one for canceling out noise), and a USB 3.1 Type-C connector that doubles as a charging plug.

Massive hiring initiative

Quanta is said to be hiring new staff in a fast paced manner, with plans to add 30,000 new workers ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays, when applicants are generally more scarce. This is in part because Quanta has also been assigned Apple Watch orders (the report doesn’t specify the quantity).

The Apple Watch is set to launch in the first part of 2015, most likely in spring according to the latest rumors.