Foxconn's CEO Terry Gou used the company's annual shareholders' meeting yesterday to comment on the upcoming 'iPhone 5', saying it would best Samsung's latest flagship smartphone as well as highlighting his continued bitter resentment towards the South Korean technology giant.
While the move is unlikely to have been green-lighted by Apple, the Cupertino-based retailer can breathe a sigh of relief as his only major comment was the iPhone 5 would put the Samsung Galaxy S3 to shame, although no information was actually offered to explain how it would. That said, it's doubtful Apple will be impressed given their preference for remaining completely tight-lipped prior to each product's official launch.
According to Focus Taiwan, outspoken Gou has made it a personal lifetime goal to defeat Samsung in every respect, and even went as far as to describe it as "a company with a track record of snitching on its competitors" in reference to the 2010 flat-panel price fixing investigation, in which the Korean company acted as a witness in return for immunity.
"I respect the Japanese and especially like their execution and communication styles," Gou said. "Unlike the Koreans, they will not hit you from behind."
Besides the tirade on big Sammie, perhaps the biggest news was the announcement that the Foxconn CEO invested $800 million of his own money in a 46.5% share of Sharp's Sakai Japan plant – currently the only factory capable of mass-producing 60 to 80-inch display panels, and the only one with an exclusive large panel deal with Corning for its popular damage-protecting coatings.
Gou pointed out that it gave both Foxconn and Sharp a three-year advantage over anything the Korean technology giant can currently build, and a means to defeat them completely in three to five years. "With [Foxconn's] marketing and manufacturing strengths and Sharp's key technologies, the two will be able to defeat their arch-rival Samsung," Focus Taiwan said.
Foxconn will begin operating the Sakai factory from July 1, although some of the production will move to Foxconn's headquarters, creating more jobs locally.