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

Foxconn, the chief manufacturer of iPhones, iPads, MacBooks and other Apple AAPL products, has confirmed that there were underage interns working at the company. According to Bloomberg, 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 2,000 angry employees started a riot. The plant quickly reopened but not before igniting a worldwide media storm that has continued to cast dark shadows on the firm. Many feared that other employees were on the verge of rioting, 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 stated 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 confirmed the existence of Apple's first television. Three days after the report surfaced, Foxconn management denied its validity and claimed that Gou never confirmed or spoke about an Apple-made television. Foxconn is rumored to be manufacturing a seven-inch iPad, 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 limited quantities for an unconfirmed price 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 prevented Apple from building an iPad Mini. Many analysts expected Apple to release a smaller iPad anyway, if only to prevent Amazon AMZN, Google GOOG, Barnes & Noble BKS and other competitors from gaining a larger share of the market. Follow me @LouisBedigianBZ