True. It will be harder, but they (or anyone else) can still copy Apple. It will just be more delayed, the copying process will begin some time AFTER Apple has already announced, previewed or released such products.
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Apple to Build Sapphire Glass Manufacturing Plant in Arizona
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True. It will be harder, but they (or anyone else) can still copy Apple. It will just be more delayed, the copying process will begin some time AFTER Apple has already announced, previewed or released such products.
Considering that an iWatch wouldn't be mechanical, they wouldn't be using sapphire for that. It's a nice scratch resistant face material, and it would prove a nice ramp up to iPhone levels of production and sizes.
Don't think so. Too many people who need to be employed. Supply and demand will take care of that.
For those who keep dreaming that US manufacturing is being done by Americans, dream on. Mostly Hispanics do all manual work these days and at minimum wages (or close to it)
There are too many issues to list here, but Apple couldn't put out millions of iDevices in the US.
I agree more companies need to do this in the UK as well, stop manufacturing in China & the far east and bring manufacturing back to our own countries.
Ok they may not make quite a much profit but it can surely only be good for jobs & the economy ?
Ok they may not make quite a much profit but it can surely only be good for jobs & the economy ?
As a native and resident who has seen the plant being built (and it is massive!) I won't touch your political rant besides saying you are wrong about us. As for energy, much of it will be solar energy as we have 300+ days per year of sun.
Its about time
When you are netting anywhere from 300% to 900% markup profit on your products, its time you start building them in the US with its "slightly" higher labor costs.
I can understand a company struggling to break even on the cost of making a product using overseas labor, but Apple's pricing strategy is near a criminal level of greed and its time they re-invest in the American economy.
It only makes sense. Americans are still Apple's largest markets, so if your primary market becomes all unemployed and living on the streets they can't afford to line up and pay $900 for $100 worth of phone or tablet technology.
When you are netting anywhere from 300% to 900% markup profit on your products, its time you start building them in the US with its "slightly" higher labor costs.
I can understand a company struggling to break even on the cost of making a product using overseas labor, but Apple's pricing strategy is near a criminal level of greed and its time they re-invest in the American economy.
It only makes sense. Americans are still Apple's largest markets, so if your primary market becomes all unemployed and living on the streets they can't afford to line up and pay $900 for $100 worth of phone or tablet technology.
Just wait until the prices of your iPhones/iPads goes up.
The US is not a manufacturing country and we shouldn't want to be--those are menial jobs for the oversees. We are an innovative technology country
And... we have the current front-runner for dumbest comment of the month.
There are a lot of unemployed Americans who would love one of those so called "menial" jobs right now. Labor costs drove jobs overseas, not the fact that Americans can't or don't want to do manufacturing jobs.
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Wrong. I know a lot of good old white anglo workers at many high tech manufacturing sites. Hispanics have taken over the service and trades industries around these parts (Texas)
Kinda neat that its on the old GM proving grounds.
The aerial image of the site. Its a shape ship!
Its a win for AZ & USA.
The aerial image of the site. Its a shape ship!
Its a win for AZ & USA.
I know Texas is big, but you need to look at the entire country. I work in an industry where the line workers are over 90% hispanic.
Sapphire could still be scratched by a diamond earring.
You should see my wife's iphone, I have to change the screen protector every couple months.
"overseas labor" ?? "our own countries" ?? - Apple are a global company as are their shareholders.
"Americans are still Apple's largest markets" - Not for long. Besides America is the largest market for many products manufactured elsewhere by other global corporations; they're not going to displace their manufacturing until it's economically viable either.
You can already buy phones with a sapphire touch screen:
Of course, they also have a titanium chassis, 24/7 concierge service, and cost around $10,000
It looks like many people here are confused (perhaps by the misleading thread title) and think that:
* Apple is going to build this plant - they won't. They are just providing a loan to the company that actually knows something about sapphires.
* Apple is going to own this plant - they won't. They might own some tools in this plant and they will be buying the products manufactured by this plant.
GT Advanced Technologies is the company that develops the technology and tools for manufacturing. I doubt that they will be prevented from selling the same products to other companies (they have other manufacturing facilities).
This is no different from current arrangements between, say, Apple and Foxconn. Apple buys some equipment (check their capital expenditures) and installs it on FOxconn factories. Foxconn operates the equipment. I suspect that in this case Apple will actually have less influence on what equipment GT Advanced Technologies is going to install and use.
* Apple is going to build this plant - they won't. They are just providing a loan to the company that actually knows something about sapphires.
* Apple is going to own this plant - they won't. They might own some tools in this plant and they will be buying the products manufactured by this plant.
GT Advanced Technologies is the company that develops the technology and tools for manufacturing. I doubt that they will be prevented from selling the same products to other companies (they have other manufacturing facilities).
This is no different from current arrangements between, say, Apple and Foxconn. Apple buys some equipment (check their capital expenditures) and installs it on FOxconn factories. Foxconn operates the equipment. I suspect that in this case Apple will actually have less influence on what equipment GT Advanced Technologies is going to install and use.
I think some (not necessarily you) may be confusing the use of a crystal (usually quartz) in a watch for it's timekeeping properties (piezoelectric frequency), with the use of a different type of crystal (in this case sapphire) in a watch FACE.
Quartz crystals for timekeeping are usually used in electronic watches, not in mechanical watches. Mechanical watches are usually spring-based and must be wound. I don't think sapphire is used for timekeeping because I don't think it has the same piezoelectric properties as quartz, and even if so it would be a very tiny piece per watch.
Sapphire is often used in watch faces since it is quite durable and of course transparent.
