Taiwans Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, the worlds largest contract manufacturer of electronic goods, will begin mass production of Apple Incs next-generation iPhone this month, local media reported Friday. Mass production of a 4.7-inch successor to the wildly popular iPhone 5 series of smartphones will begin during the third week of July, Taiwans Economic Daily News said, without citing sources. A separate report issued Thursday by a China state-run news service said Hon Hai is planning to hire 100,000 workers at its mainland facilities to meet future demand for the gadget, citing comments made by the chief of the Henan Provincial Commerce Department.