If you're curious about working conditions in Apple factories that are not located in the United States, a recent report from The New York Times should prove interesting. The report detailed improved working conditions in Foxconn's Apple factories in China.
9To5Mac reported that the Times and Apple have had a year of conflict, beginning when the Times published a detailed report in January 2012 that covered poor working conditions in Foxconn's Chinese plants. This original report caused Apple to perform its own audit of the conditions found in the factories making Apple products, so that it could take necessary steps to address issues.
The Times' latest installment of its “iEconomy” series reported on the significant advances that Apple and Foxconn have made in 2012 to improve Chinese plant conditions. After performing independent monitoring of the plants, Apple reached out to advocacy groups to determine the best course of action.
“Among them, say people with firsthand knowledge, was hiring roughly 30 professionals into Apple's social responsibility unit in the last year, which tripled the size of that division and brought high-profile corporate activists into the company,” Times contributors Keith Bradsher and Charles Duhigg reported in the recent installment.
Despite 2012's Foxconn controversy, the quality of Apple products was never called into question. Still, iPhones and iPods do suffer cracked screens and other damage, in which case you don't have to ship the device overseas for repairs: iResQ's iPad and iPhone repair services can get your device good as new in no time.