LoginArizona is about to see a fruit-themed technology takeover, as Apple plans to open a new manufacturing facility in Mesa that will create a total of more than 2,000 jobs in the region.
The new 700-employee manufacturing facility will help create a product called "sapphire glass," a scratch-resistant type of glass the company plans to use for both its iPhone cameras and the new Touch ID feature on the new iPhone 5s, according to Business Insider. The company has also bought a vacant plant in the region that cost $100 million.
Such an investment may mean the company plans to expand its products that use sapphire glass, according to the news source. There are rumors it may even develop a new smartwatch like the one recently created by Samsung.
According to the Arizona Republic, the facility's jobs created will boil down to 700 new manufacturing and engineering positions, while another 1,300 jobs will be formed in construction to prepare the facility for better production means.
The location of the facility may have multiple reasons, according to the news source. It is close to a Foxconn Technology Group factory in Mexico for easier shipping processes, while it's also possible that the company wanted to keep its sapphire-glass production in the United States.