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MartyBeez

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 30, 2013
71
18
The Hague, NL
Here's a thought: Apple has a nicely established supply chain of various iDevice parts. Apparently this makes it very difficult to keep a secret, considering the number of photos and videos of various iPhone5S/5C parts.

It could very well be that the next iPhone (or the one after that) is made in the USA, after positive evaluations of doing the Mac Pro 'at home'.

What are your thoughts?
 

Terry Kim

macrumors newbie
Aug 29, 2013
5
0
I agree with you. Plus, it sounds and looks better with "Made in USA" label at the back of the phone.
 

DBZmusicboy01

macrumors 65816
Sep 30, 2011
1,095
1,262
Only $4
But hey at least the money is going into our country to help the economy better AND Have better quality iPhones than the cheapy china ones.
 

NewbieCanada

macrumors 68030
Oct 9, 2007
2,574
37
Here's a thought: Apple has a nicely established supply chain of various iDevice parts. Apparently this makes it very difficult to keep a secret, considering the number of photos and videos of various iPhone5S/5C parts.

It could very well be that the next iPhone (or the one after that) is made in the USA, after positive evaluations of doing the Mac Pro 'at home'.

What are your thoughts?

Mac Pro sells in the thousands. iPhone sells in tens of millions. No comparisons to be made.
 

Steve121178

macrumors 603
Apr 13, 2010
6,373
6,862
Bedfordshire, UK
I agree with you. Plus, it sounds and looks better with "Made in USA" label at the back of the phone.

All the components are made in Asia. 'Assembled in the USA' would be more accurate.

----------

Only $4
But hey at least the money is going into our country to help the economy better AND Have better quality iPhones than the cheapy china ones.

Why would they be better quality? The Asian factories to a great job. And who's going to make your American iPhone's when they all start striking and walking out due to pay disputes etc? You don't get all that crap in Asia.
 

Daveoc64

macrumors 601
Jan 16, 2008
4,074
92
Bristol, UK
I agree with you. Plus, it sounds and looks better with "Made in USA" label at the back of the phone.

Not to me.

You have to consider that most iPhones are not sold to consumers in the US.

Having an iPhone that is "Made in the USA" does not appeal to me in the slightest - it would almost certainly cost more and would not offer any benefits.
 

Skika

macrumors 68030
Mar 11, 2009
2,999
1,246
Nah i dont think noone cares besides the "hurr durr bring the jobs back" crowd.
 

madsci954

macrumors 68030
Oct 14, 2011
2,725
658
Ohio
Mac Pro sells in the thousands. iPhone sells in tens of millions. No comparisons to be made.

This, it would be nice to see Made in the USA, but the demand far outweighs what USA manufacturing can supply.

Where as, the Mac Pro will only sell a mere fraction of iPhones since they are priced and targeted at professionals, and the demand will not be anywhere close than the iPhone.
 

Menel

Suspended
Aug 4, 2011
6,351
1,356
Here's a thought: Apple has a nicely established supply chain of various iDevice parts. Apparently this makes it very difficult to keep a secret, considering the number of photos and videos of various iPhone5S/5C parts.

It could very well be that the next iPhone (or the one after that) is made in the USA, after positive evaluations of doing the Mac Pro 'at home'.

What are your thoughts?
Not a chance. Already covered.

Perfect Re-Design Was Possible with Perfect Flexibility and Speed

It was in the middle of night when the first truckload of cut glasses arrived at Foxconn city with the re-designed glass screen for iPhone. Apple engineers had been tinkering with the glass screen for weeks.

Suddenly, the light in the factory was turned on.

A foreman immediately roused 8,000 workers inside the company’s dormitories, according to the executive. Each employee was given a biscuit and a cup of tea, guided to a workstation and within half an hour started a 12-hour shift fitting glass screens into beveled frames. Within 96 hours, the plant was producing over 10,000 iPhones a day, NYT reported.

This is how one million iPhone could be sold within three months.
http://www.ibtimes.com/iphone-why-cant-it-be-made-usa-399290

Atlanta has a population of 432,000.
Foxconn's factory in Shenzhen has 450,000 workers.

Can you convince the entire population of Atlanta. Think on that a moment. To move into dormitories to be on call for building the latest gadget. And paid factory worker wages.

I know I'm not signing on for that.
 

Bear

macrumors G3
Jul 23, 2002
8,088
5
Sol III - Terra
...
It could very well be that the next iPhone (or the one after that) is made in the USA, after positive evaluations of doing the Mac Pro 'at home'.

What are your thoughts?
At best, some iPhones could be made/assembled in the US. They would keep making iPhones in various locations for the local market.

We might see other Macs get split production, some in the US and some in China before thay do that with iOS devices.

All the components are made in Asia. 'Assembled in the USA' would be more accurate.
Really? Processors are made in Texas, Glass is made in South Carolina or Georgia (I forget which). And if I recall correctly other bits are made in the US as well for the various iOS devices.

Made in USA vs Assembled in USA would depend on the percentage of materials that are made in the USA.
 

Menel

Suspended
Aug 4, 2011
6,351
1,356
At best, some iPhones could be made/assembled in the US. They would keep making iPhones in various locations for the local market.

We might see other Macs get split production, some in the US and some in China before thay do that with iOS devices.

Really? Processors are made in Texas, Glass is made in South Carolina or Georgia (I forget which). And if I recall correctly other bits are made in the US as well for the various iOS devices.

Made in USA vs Assembled in USA would depend on the percentage of materials that are made in the USA.
Originally made in Kentucky. Some may still be made there.

Now, mostly made in China

“Our customers are in Taiwan, Korea, Japan and China,” said James B. Flaws, Corning’s vice chairman and chief financial officer. “We could make the glass here, and then ship it by boat, but that takes 35 days. Or, we could ship it by air, but that’s 10 times as expensive. So we build our glass factories next door to assembly factories, and those are overseas.”
 

NewbieCanada

macrumors 68030
Oct 9, 2007
2,574
37
This, it would be nice to see Made in the USA, but the demand far outweighs what USA manufacturing can supply.

Where as, the Mac Pro will only sell a mere fraction of iPhones since they are priced and targeted at professionals, and the demand will not be anywhere close than the iPhone.

Besides which, I’m Canadian. Other people are English, French, Italian, Mexican, Indian, Australian, German, etc. “Assembled in the USA” doesn’t impress as much.
 

darster

Suspended
Aug 25, 2011
1,703
1
Only $4
But hey at least the money is going into our country to help the economy better AND Have better quality iPhones than the cheapy china ones.

$4 is a lot if you consider Apple sells over 120 million iphones. They would lose close to $500 million by building it in US. Considering the cut throat nature of the smartphone industry, Apple is not going to throw away a half billion dollars.
 

Menel

Suspended
Aug 4, 2011
6,351
1,356
Only $4
But hey at least the money is going into our country to help the economy better AND Have better quality iPhones than the cheapy china ones.


$4 is a lot if you consider Apple sells over 120 million iphones. They would lose close to $500 million by building it in US. Considering the cut throat nature of the smartphone industry, Apple is not going to throw away a half billion dollars.
The $4 was pulled out of his ass. But don't take my word for it... Some quick googling.

"By locating the same iPhone factory in America, Apple would add more than $25 billion in labor costs a year, which would completely wipe out Apple’s 2010 profit of $14 billion." -forbes

"Various academics and manufacturing analysts estimate that because labor is such a small part of technology manufacturing, paying American wages would add up to $65 to each iPhone’s expense." -nytimes

"And though everyone cites how the cost of labor is much cheaper in China, the fact is labor is less important to a company's bottom line than supply chains are. And the reality is, all the supply chains to manufacture consumer electronics exist in China. Components are made in this facility, glass next door, a million screws can be found down the road, so on and so on—that convenience saves companies a lot more money than the benefit of hiring cheap labor."-nytimes
 

CEmajr

macrumors 601
Dec 18, 2012
4,447
1,224
Charlotte, NC
I would pay a little more for it to be manufactured in the USA. Doubt it will happen though. Current trade laws make it more profitable to manufacture goods outside the US.
 

old-wiz

macrumors G3
Mar 26, 2008
8,331
228
West Suburban Boston Ma
In the U.S.A, the working conditions of the iPhone factories would never pass OSHA rules. Nor would workers here likely to work for less than minimum wage. There's no way we could turn out the millions of iPhones that are made in China.
 

Rocko1

macrumors 68020
Nov 3, 2011
2,070
4
In the U.S.A, the working conditions of the iPhone factories would never pass OSHA rules. Nor would workers here likely to work for less than minimum wage. There's no way we could turn out the millions of iPhones that are made in China.

Force all the wellfare recipients to put in even 4 hours of work a day for their checks.
 

Mrbobb

macrumors 603
Aug 27, 2012
5,009
209
There is an article today somewhere that MotoX USA final assembly only, NOT manufacture, costs Moto another $12.

Then at some point there was an article explaining why electronics manufacture is never coming back. They cite this example some manufacturing towns in China is like parts heaven. Not happy with your screws and want something of a different spec and want 100,000 of them in a few days? Some chop down the block probably have them. They don't have to go searching for far flunked suppliers. And those Chinese manufacturers move quick, they don't say because of the lack of government and environmental regulations.
 
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