Your iPhone Might Have Been Built by a 14-Year-Old

Foxconn, the chief manufacturer of iPhones, iPads, MacBooks and other Apple

products, has confirmed that there were underage interns working at the company.

According to

, the interns -- who ranged in age from 14 to 16 -- worked at the company's Yantai facility located in Northeastern China. The interns were sent by local schools and worked for the company for approximately three weeks. This news comes after months of reports that Foxconn still employed underage workers and is one of many issues plaguing the manufacturer. Just days after the iPhone 5 was released in September, Foxconn was forced to close one of its plants after

started a riot. The plant

but not before igniting a worldwide media storm that has continued to cast dark shadows on the firm. Many feared that other employees were

, particularly after reports surfaced that Apple had raised its expectations to ensure that the iPhone 5 was manufactured without scratches and other noticeable flaws. Thus far the situation seems to have remained under control. Prior to the latest string of controversies, Foxconn made headline news after CEO Terry Gou

that the iPhone 5 would put its competitor -- Samsung's Galaxy S III -- to shame. Gou also garnered some attention after a Chinese website reported that he

of Apple's first television. Three days after the report surfaced, Foxconn management

and claimed that Gou never confirmed or spoke about an Apple-made television. Foxconn is rumored to be manufacturing a

, which Apple is expected to unveil before the end of the month. The device is believed to carry at least one unique feature not contained within the third-generation iPad and will ship in

for an

of $320. This price tag has raised some concerns about the pricing structure of the new iPod Touch, which starts at $299. That device was initially thought to have

an iPad Mini. Many analysts expected Apple to release a smaller iPad anyway, if only to prevent Amazon

, Google

, Barnes & Noble

and other competitors from gaining a larger share of the market.