Hon Hai Makes Case to Build EVs for Japan's Automobile Industry
By and Tsuyoshi Inajima
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Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. wants Japan's carmakers to know it's willing to assemble electric vehicles for them, similar to how it makes PlayStations for Sony Group Corp. and iPhones for Apple Inc., and expects to announce partners in the near future.
While Foxconn, as the Taiwanese company is also called, is well known as the world's largest contract manufacturer and the owner of Sharp Corp., more work needs to be done to raise its profile as a potential builder of cars, according to Jun Seki, chief strategy officer of the Taiwanese company's EV business.
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USA Today
9 hours ago
- USA Today
Trump Media files for bitcoin and ethereum ETF in SEC registration push
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American Press
9 hours ago
- American Press
Trump family's next venture, a mobile phone company
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A $1.5 billion partnership to build golf courses, hotels and real estate projects in Vietnam was approved last month, though the deal was in the works before Trump was elected. Even oversight of such a company, with the Trump name attached, raises ethical concerns. Trump has already used the federal government to reward his allies and punish his enemies. The Federal Communications Commission, the primary regulatory body overseeing mobile phone companies, has already launched investigations of media outlets Trump dislikes and, in some cases, is personally suing. Eric Trump said Monday that consumers deserve a phone that aligns with their values. 'Hard-working Americans deserve a wireless service that's affordable, reflects their values, and delivers reliable quality they can count on,' he said in a statement. The company would also enter a highly competitive market that includes companies that have been directly attacked by Donald Trump. 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In the first term, Trump was blasted by conservative and liberal government ethics experts alike for opening his Washington hotel to lobbyists and diplomats and violating his company's pledge to avoid even the appearance of a conflict between his private profit and the public interest. The company is feeling more emboldened now in the second term. The mobile service is partnering with existing cellular carriers with access to a 5G network, raising questions of how they will be treated by federal regulators now that they have partnered with his company. The Trump Organization said those companies are America's three biggest mobile network providers, an apparent reference to Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile, the latter with a trademarked name that is very similar to Trump's T1 Mobile. The name given to the monthly service offer, The 47 Plan, and the monthly fee of $47.45 make reference to Trump's two terms, the 45th and the 47th. 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New York Post
10 hours ago
- New York Post
Why Trump Mobile's $499 smartphone likely won't be made in the USA — at least not yet
Trump Mobile's vow to make a $499 gilded smartphone in the US by this summer with some specs that exceed high-end Apple iPhones — and for a fraction of the price — has industry experts calling it fool's gold. The T1 phone touted by the president's sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr. will feature a 6.8-inch AMOLED screen, 256GB of storage with expandable memory and a 50-megapixel rear camera array, according to its website. Apple's iPhone 16 Pro Max — which is mainly made in China — also offers a 6.8-inch screen and 256 gigabytes of storage, but the rear camera maxes out at 48 megapixels — and costs $1,199. 'There's absolutely no way you could make the screen, get that memory, camera, battery, everything' in the US, Tinglong Dai, a Johns Hopkins University business professor, told the Wall Street Journal. 4 The Trump Organization's promise of a $499 'Made in USA' smartphone is generating questions. Trump Mobile He estimated it would take 'at least five years' to build the infrastructure needed for domestic smartphone production. Even Eric Trump appeared to walk back that the T1 will be entirely manufactured and assembled in the US by its expected August launch date during an interview Monday with podcaster Benny Johnson. Holding up what looked like a gold-plated iPhone, he said: 'You can build these phones in the United States. Eventually, all the phones can be built in the United States of America. We have to bring manufacturing back here.' The company said in a press release that the Android-based handset would be 'proudly designed and built in the United States.' 4 Donald Trump Jr. announced the launch of Trump Mobile at Trump Tower in Manhattan on Monday. AP Trump Mobile has not disclosed where the first wave of T1 phones will be built, or which suppliers will provide the components. The Post has sought comment from Trump Mobile. 'If the Trump Phone is promising a $499 price tag with domestic manufacturing, this announcement looks to be classic vaporware,' said Todd Weaver, CEO of Purism, referring to the unlikelihood of a US-manufactured phone being available at that price. 4 The T1 phone will feature a 6.8-inch AMOLED screen, 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage with expandable memory, a 50-megapixel rear camera array, a 16-megapixel selfie cam and a 5,000 mAh battery. Trump Mobile Given the technical specifications and the $499 price point, analysts believe early units could originate from Chinese manufacturers such as Xiaomi or Oppo, which have the capability to produce premium Android phones at that cost. Smartphones are produced through a complex global supply chain. Key components like processors are typically designed in the US and manufactured in Taiwan, displays come from South Korea, camera sensors from Japan (Sony) and various other parts from suppliers in China, Europe and Southeast Asia. 4 From left to right: Eric Trump, Don Hendrickson, Eric Thomas, Patrick O'Brien and Donald Trump Jr. AP Final assembly usually occurs in China, India or Vietnam at massive facilities run by contract manufacturers such as Foxconn, Pegatron or Compal. Dai said the current industrial focus in the US is on regaining leadership in semiconductors and other critical technologies — not on smartphone assembly. Last month, President Trump threatened Apple with a 25% tariff for any iPhone sold but not made in the United States — putting new pressure on CEO Tim Cook to move manufacturing out of Asia. One area where a quick rollout is more feasible is the Trump Mobile wireless service. Like other MVNOs (mobile virtual network operators), Trump Mobile can lease capacity from existing carriers and offer its own branded plans, much like Mint Mobile did before being acquired by T-Mobile.
