Apple to Move Mac mini Production to U.S.

MacRumors · Dec 26, 2012, 08:58 PM

DigiTimes reports that contrary to the early speculation, it will be the Mac mini, not the Mac Pro, that will be shifted to U.S. production.

Quote:

Apple is reportedly set to move its Mac mini production lines back to the US with Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry) to be responsible of handling establishment, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.

According to the report, Foxconn already has "about 15 operating bases" in the U.S. and the company plans on recruiting workers for 2013 for new automated production lines. The Mac mini is expected to reach 1.8 million sales units in 2013, up from 1.4 million units in 2012.

During a recent interview with NBC's Brian Williams, Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed that one of the existing Mac lines will be manufactured exclusively in the United States next year. Early speculation had suggested the Mac Pro might be that Mac model due to its relatively low volume of sales.

Article Link: Apple to Move Mac mini Production to U.S.

Michaelgtrusa · Dec 26, 2012, 08:59 PM

...but made by Foxconn.

haruhiko · Dec 26, 2012, 09:00 PM

So the Mac mini has the highest margin of all Apple products.

MarcusPearl · Dec 26, 2012, 09:04 PM

Good to hear we're making Mac's but i feel like now the price is going to go up

irmongoose · Dec 26, 2012, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michaelgtrusa

...but made by Foxconn.

So? This doesn't contradict a word of what Cook mentioned.

An interesting question, though: Will the Mini eventually replace the Mac Pro? A server-grade Mini, same name, but new product, with thunderbolt expansion bays? I dunno, just brain-vomit at this point, but an interesting thought, nonetheless.

irmongoose

ChrisA · Dec 26, 2012, 09:06 PM

Now that I know, in retrospect, it seems you don't want to move the lowest volume product to the US, you want the one that can use the most automation. Many time s avery low volume product must be hand made because it does not pay to create the high level of automation. The "Mini" is a higher volume product but it is also simple enough that robots can make it.

iphone495 · Dec 26, 2012, 09:07 PM

Good for Apple. Probably bad for AAPL.

Patriot24 · Dec 26, 2012, 09:07 PM

Good deal. They have to start somewhere. Hopefully it is a successful program and more devices are manufactured here in the future.

MacDav · Dec 26, 2012, 09:07 PM

Hmm.. Counter intuitive. The Mac Pro was the obvious choice. Just goes to show that I should be running Apple instead of Tim.

krravi · Dec 26, 2012, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisA

Now that I know, in retrospect, it seems you don't want to move the lowest volume product to the US, you want the one that can use the most automation. Many time s avery low volume product must be hand made because it does not pay to create the high level of automation. The "Mini" is a higher volume product but it is also simple enough that robots can make it.

You think a robot can make a Mac Mini by itself? Then you have no idea what goes into the making of a computer or what robots can do and what humans can do.

iGrip · Dec 26, 2012, 09:13 PM

Good move, Apple! They really should play up the Made in the USA angle in their advertising.

pgiguere1 · Dec 26, 2012, 09:15 PM

Twist: The 2013 Mac mini actually is the new Mac for professionals promised by Tim Cook.

ArtOfWarfare · Dec 26, 2012, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iGrip

Good move, Apple! They really should play up the Made in the USA angle in their advertising.

It seems to me such a move would backfire. People would wonder why Apple makes 90% (just an estimate I came up with just now) of their computers overseas - you can't advertise Made in the USA when one of your relatively uncommon lines (of five) are made in the US and the other 4 (including several more popular lines) are made overseas.

JS3 · Dec 26, 2012, 09:19 PM

Surprised apple is still making Mac mini. Wouldn't the price go down if it was made here?

MagnusVonMagnum · Dec 26, 2012, 09:19 PM

The new Mac Mini is actually pretty friendly to take apart and upgrade so it should come as no shock that it would be simple to assemble in the USA (not so small that it's hard to work on and not so complex that it takes a lot of skilled worker time at low wages to produce profitably).

As for the Mac Pro, I'll believe that they're going to update it when I see it. They've shown a total callous disregard for the professional market in general these past few years and never once even lowered the price of the Mac Pro even when its was HORRIBLY out of date. Apple sometimes seems to lose all touch with reality. Why even bother if that's the best they're going to do? So what if they update it to modern specs one more time? We won't likely see another update for another 4-5 years....

saturn88 · Dec 26, 2012, 09:20 PM

May be they should have started from the lightning adapter

unplugme71 · Dec 26, 2012, 09:22 PM

I get the Mac Pro isn't a big seller and maybe too much. But cut the chassis in half, call it the Mac and offer at least one PCIE slot with lots of external expansion ports with dual Ethernet. Knock off $500 off the price and I bet it'll sell more units.

John.B · Dec 26, 2012, 09:23 PM

Queue the wailing about the Mac Pro being dead in 3... 2... 1...

joueboy · Dec 26, 2012, 09:23 PM

That's unexpected, most of us assuming the Mac Pro is the #1 candidate for this. I guess Apple will be abandoning the Mac Pros from now on and focus on MacMini Pro made in the USA.

unplugme71 · Dec 26, 2012, 09:24 PM

Production in the US is great! It lets our engineers monitor production. That's how a lot of inventions were thought of.

Ichabod. · Dec 26, 2012, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MagnusVonMagnum

As for the Mac Pro, I'll believe that they're going to update it when I see it.

Well, Tim did say 2013*, so hopefully with the next server chip refresh?

*http://macpro.macrumors.com

saud0488 · Dec 26, 2012, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarcusPearl

Good to hear we're making Mac's but i feel like now the price is going to go up

And quality will go way down.

PinoyAko · Dec 26, 2012, 09:26 PM

So what?

Rustus Maximus · Dec 26, 2012, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John.B

Queue the wailing about the Mac Pro being dead in 3... 2... 1...

Wait, wait, wait...there's a Mac PRO??

Newton70 · Dec 26, 2012, 09:29 PM

This is welcome news, a small step but a positive one.

Dec 26, 2012, 08:59 PM	#2
Michaelgtrusa macrumors 68040 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Everywhere And Nowhere	...but made by Foxconn. __________________ iMACAll life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. TWITTER TUMBLR
	9

Dec 26, 2012, 09:00 PM	#3
haruhiko macrumors 68000 Join Date: Sep 2009	So the Mac mini has the highest margin of all Apple products. __________________ Mac: rMBP'12, iMac'08/24", Mini'09 (dead), MBP'10/15", MBA'11/13"/256. iPhone: 5/64B, 4S/64W, 4/32B, 3GS/16. iPT: 3G,1G. iPad: 3/4G/64 2/3G/32, 1/WiFi/16. ATV'12,'11 AEBS'09
	7

Dec 26, 2012, 09:04 PM	#4
MarcusPearl macrumors newbie Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Long Island, NY	Price Hike ? Good to hear we're making Mac's but i feel like now the price is going to go up
	7

Dec 26, 2012, 09:07 PM	#8
Patriot24 macrumors 65816 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Phoenix, AZ	Good deal. They have to start somewhere. Hopefully it is a successful program and more devices are manufactured here in the future. __________________ iphone + air + ipad + time capsule + classic + shuffle + tv
	5

Dec 26, 2012, 09:07 PM	#9
MacDav macrumors 6502a Join Date: Mar 2004	Hmm.. Counter intuitive. The Mac Pro was the obvious choice. Just goes to show that I should be running Apple instead of Tim. __________________ "99.9% of things people quote me as having said..I never said..This is another of those things"...Albert Einstein. Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away. Phillip K Dick
	4

Dec 26, 2012, 09:06 PM	#6
ChrisA macrumors G3 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Redondo Beach, California	Now that I know, in retrospect, it seems you don't want to move the lowest volume product to the US, you want the one that can use the most automation. Many time s avery low volume product must be hand made because it does not pay to create the high level of automation. The "Mini" is a higher volume product but it is also simple enough that robots can make it.
	5

Dec 26, 2012, 09:07 PM	#7
iphone495 macrumors member Join Date: Sep 2012	Good for Apple. Probably bad for AAPL.
	7

Dec 26, 2012, 09:13 PM	#11
iGrip macrumors 65816 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: The State of Yves. Yes, I love him THAT much.	brilliant Good move, Apple! They really should play up the Made in the USA angle in their advertising.
	1

Dec 26, 2012, 09:15 PM	#12
pgiguere1 macrumors 65816 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Montreal, Canada	Twist: The 2013 Mac mini actually is the new Mac for professionals promised by Tim Cook.
	11

Dec 26, 2012, 09:19 PM	#14
JS3 macrumors regular Join Date: Apr 2010	Surprised apple is still making Mac mini. Wouldn't the price go down if it was made here?
	0

Dec 26, 2012, 09:19 PM	#15
MagnusVonMagnum macrumors 68030 Join Date: Jun 2007	The new Mac Mini is actually pretty friendly to take apart and upgrade so it should come as no shock that it would be simple to assemble in the USA (not so small that it's hard to work on and not so complex that it takes a lot of skilled worker time at low wages to produce profitably). As for the Mac Pro, I'll believe that they're going to update it when I see it. They've shown a total callous disregard for the professional market in general these past few years and never once even lowered the price of the Mac Pro even when its was HORRIBLY out of date. Apple sometimes seems to lose all touch with reality. Why even bother if that's the best they're going to do? So what if they update it to modern specs one more time? We won't likely see another update for another 4-5 years.... __________________ Mac Mini Server 2012 (2.3GHz Quad i7, 8GB, 2x1TB RAID 0) ; External 12x Memorex Blu-Ray USB3, External WD 3x3TB,1x2TB HD USB3) 15" Matte MBP 2.4GHz, 4GB/500GB, NVidia 8600M GT; 3 ATV; 2 iPod Touch
	9

Dec 26, 2012, 09:20 PM	#16
saturn88 macrumors 6502 Join Date: Sep 2011	May be they should have started from the lightning adapter
	0

Dec 26, 2012, 09:22 PM	#17
unplugme71 macrumors 6502 Join Date: May 2011	I get the Mac Pro isn't a big seller and maybe too much. But cut the chassis in half, call it the Mac and offer at least one PCIE slot with lots of external expansion ports with dual Ethernet. Knock off $500 off the price and I bet it'll sell more units.
	4

Dec 26, 2012, 09:23 PM	#18
John.B macrumors 68030 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Flyover Country	Queue the wailing about the Mac Pro being dead in 3... 2... 1... __________________ Google Maps for iOS: "Directions may be inaccurate, incomplete, dangerous, or prohibited."
	15

Dec 26, 2012, 09:23 PM	#19
joueboy macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jul 2008	Unexpected! That's unexpected, most of us assuming the Mac Pro is the #1 candidate for this. I guess Apple will be abandoning the Mac Pros from now on and focus on MacMini Pro made in the USA.
	0

Dec 26, 2012, 09:24 PM	#20
unplugme71 macrumors 6502 Join Date: May 2011	Production in the US is great! It lets our engineers monitor production. That's how a lot of inventions were thought of.
	2

Dec 26, 2012, 09:26 PM	#23
PinoyAko macrumors 6502 Join Date: Nov 2012	So what?
	4

Dec 26, 2012, 09:29 PM	#25
Newton70 macrumors member Join Date: Sep 2011	This is welcome news, a small step but a positive one.
	3

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