Amy Teng, an analyst at research firm Gartner, said a key advantage of using robots is that they will be able to handle more dangerous work, such as chemical treating used in the manufacturing of electronics. But it is unclear how effective robots will be in building handheld electronics like smartphones.

"Robot arms are usually used on cars, big machinery. Very few are used on smartphones," she said. In the case of Apple's iPhone, due to its small compact size, hands are needed to properly connect all the wiring inside. "I don't think a robot arm can handle that. It's so sophisticated, that it is something I don't think robot arms can help with."