Reports that Foxconn will make the next version of Amazon’s popular e-reader are gaining credence as chinatimes.com reported that Amazon is finalizing a deal with the Taiwanese manufacturing giant. Foxconn has been under fire for abusive labor practices at the plant in China where it makes the Apple’s iPhones and iPads. Apple (AAPL) has responded by asking investigators from a non-profit labor fairness group to visit the factories and initial reports have been positive, but Foxconn has a long and bloody history of asking employees to work long hours in deadly conditions in order to keep costs low for U.S. customers like Apple.
Now Amazon (AMZN) is joining that list of American companies hoping to benefit from Foxconn’s low-cost manufacturing operations. Taiwan’s Qanta made the first Kindle Fire and sourced the component parts, but Amazon will reportedly select and source the components for the Kindle Fire 2.
Amazon has not publicly disclosed sales numbers for the first Kindle Fire, but one analyst who follows the company estimated fourth quarter sales at 6 million units. Apple says 15.4 million iPads were sold during the same quarter.
Want your news faster? Follow me on Twitter.
