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Inside Xiaomi’s near-fully automated factory that assembles a smartphone in 6 seconds
(e.vnexpress.net)
this post was submitted on 26 Jan 2026
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Technology
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Finishing an item on an assembly line every 6 seconds does not mean it only takes 6 seconds to assemble the item. It only means that the slowest step of the process takes a maximum of 6 seconds/item to complete.
Not even that. For example if there are 10 assembly lines in parallel that the slowest step takes 60 seconds, you still get a phone each 6 seconds
Hell you can even parallelize the slow parts so the fast parts aren't waiting as much
I was considering parallel processes in the same facility as a single production line in this case, as the article seems to consider the production mentioned as a single line...but yes, if it is indeed split between multiple lines producing the phones entirely and in parallel that is the case.
That was my reaction to the headline. Then I read the article:
They are indeed stating each phone only takes 6 seconds to complete
With ~30 million seconds in a year, their output is 1 phone every 3 seconds
That sounds like the final assembly takes six seconds, which is entirely plausible given how fast robots move.
I disagree, that phrasing suggests from assembling the circuit board to finished product, which I believe is impossible in 6 seconds, simply due to soldering time for components alone. The 6 seconds is only achievable on a "per unit" basis because they can make multiple units in parallel on the production line.
You should really read the article
Literally the sentence after that points out the production output is 10 million per year, which is 1 phone every ~3 seconds
They are indeed claiming to put together a unit, start to finish, in 6 seconds. Implying they only have 2-3 parallel production lines
Claiming is one thing, showing video footage is another.
If true, very impressive.
I have seen videos of pick'n'place machines. But I can't imagine the solder baking, screwing and final assembly and preparing for the packaging taking only 6 seconds.
I love the optimism.
You should really think more about what you say. We're talking about final assembly, not soldering individual components onto the board.
His Western brain can't comprehend Chinese technology being superior to whatever his country is doing.
I see it in every thread about Chinese tech. There's always someone or a group of people ready to detract from any advancements China is making.
You clearly have absolutely no clue how automated SMD soldering or pick'n'place tech works and how fast it can do things. It's the exact same machine assembling both Chinese and "western" products. At best it will take ~30 seconds per PCB, depending on size and capacity of the placing machine. Which is absolutely insane considering amount of components and complexity of modern smartphones.
I'm not bashing the tech, I'm bashing the journalist reporting on it.
Without fail, they simply cannot tolerate China doing anything better than the West.
ExcessiveShiv is literally monitoring this thread so he can reply to anyone who doubts him.
Getting a notification whenever someone replies to you isn't "monitoring the thread"
Okay Xi Jinping
Also that’s not that impressive. 30 million devices is roughly one per second year round. Phone manufacturers make many times that in a year.
Yeah, the "6 seconds" part is just a clickbait. The "near-fully automated" part is interesting.
How is it clickbait?
An estimated 1.4 billion cell phones are sold each year.
Apple clears about 8 iPhones a second year-round, with ~250 million.
How many cell phones does one need?
I need 8 per second. Keep dropping them.
If it were 9 that would just be e-wasteful. 7-8 is the sweet spot.