WSJ: Apple Poaches HTC Engineers To Speed Up Product Development

By

Terry Gou
But there's a definite chance of further delays.
Photo: Foxconn

Apple is taking on “hundreds” of new engineers and supply-chain managers in China and Taiwan in an effort to speed up product development and offer a greater range of devices, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The Cupertino company has reportedly poached staff from HTC and other rival firms to create new teams in Shanghai and Taipei.

“Apple is building an engineering team in Taipei to drive new iPhone product development,” read one of the recruitment messages, which was sent to a local engineer. The company has reportedly been headhunting specific individuals since mid-2013, using professional network LinkedIn to seek out those with rival companies.

Apple’s aim is to release products more often, The Journal reports, but it’s unclear whether that means it will shorten its release cycles or expand its product families.

Recent rumors have claimed that the company is planning two new iPhones for 2014, both of which are expected to come with larger displays — while a larger “iPad Pro” and an “iWatch” are also expected by many analysts. If indeed all those things are planned for this year, Apple is likely going to need to expand certain teams to ensure they launch smoothly.

Core development of new products and technologies will remain in Cupertino, The Journal reports, but Apple’s new teams in Asia are expected to work with local suppliers and manufacturers mostly to improve production and quality control.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

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