Apple has been using teen labour to assemble the iPhone X

Apple manufacturers in China have reportedly been employing high schoole students to make the company's iPhone X.

Foxconn has illegally brought on 3000 students from the Zhengzhou Urban Rail Transit School to assemble the smartphone as it works to make up ground following severe production delays, according to a damning new report by the Financial Times.

The students, who range in age from 17 to 19, have reportedly been required to work at the plants in order to complete a "work experience" graduation requirement. They regularly work 11-hour days, which violates Chinese labour laws for student interns, the report states.

The new Apple iPhone X sits on display as consumers line up to buy the phone at the new Apple Michigan Avenue store. Photo / AP

"We are being forced by our school to work here," one student, who was made to assemble 1200 iPhone X cameras a day, told the FT.

"This work has nothing to do with our studies."

Both Apple and Foxconn acknowledged that they were aware of the students working overtime, and said they were investigating the matter. Apple, however, insisted that "the students worked voluntarily, were compensated and provided benefits."

The iPhone X was plagued with rumours of production delays in the months leading up to its launch, and has been hard to come by in the month since.

The smartphone, which features the first-ever OLED display in an iPhone as well as facial recognition technology, is currently back-ordered by 2 to 3 weeks on Apple's website.