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Chinese students strongly encouraged to build iPhone 5
- Thread starter CASLondon
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The price of the iPhone will rise if it is made here and that will not fare very well with the general public.
Our American fingers are just too pudgy to build delicate little electronics 
(kidding)
It's been shown many times that even if Apple wanted to (and I believe they do want to), they physically wouldn't be able to assemble the iPhone in the US. There are physically not enough unemployed factory workers skilled in assembling electronics in the US, and not enough unemployed industrial engineers to oversee those workers. The US simply does not have the labor force needed to build the iphone. We would need thousands more than we currently have.
Apple uses about 200,000 assembly line workers, and about 9,000 mid-level industrial engineers to assemble the iPhone. It takes 14 days to find that work force in China. It would probably take close to a year to assemble that work force in the US.
Chinese schools graduate 600,000 engineers per year, compared to 70,000 per year in the US. We need to fix education in order to get iPhones assembled in the US.
Source: http://www.theatlantic.com/business...ates-will-never-ever-build-the-iphone/251837/
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As for higher price: Many estimates that I have read estimate that the iphone wouldn't cost so much more to build in the US than in China. Most estimates peg it at between $50-$200 more per unit. Though this seems like a large range, it's well within Apple's markup and it probably wouldn't affect end-user carried-subsidized price.
(kidding)It's been shown many times that even if Apple wanted to (and I believe they do want to), they physically wouldn't be able to assemble the iPhone in the US. There are physically not enough unemployed factory workers skilled in assembling electronics in the US, and not enough unemployed industrial engineers to oversee those workers. The US simply does not have the labor force needed to build the iphone. We would need thousands more than we currently have.
Apple uses about 200,000 assembly line workers, and about 9,000 mid-level industrial engineers to assemble the iPhone. It takes 14 days to find that work force in China. It would probably take close to a year to assemble that work force in the US.
Chinese schools graduate 600,000 engineers per year, compared to 70,000 per year in the US. We need to fix education in order to get iPhones assembled in the US.
Source: http://www.theatlantic.com/business...ates-will-never-ever-build-the-iphone/251837/
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As for higher price: Many estimates that I have read estimate that the iphone wouldn't cost so much more to build in the US than in China. Most estimates peg it at between $50-$200 more per unit. Though this seems like a large range, it's well within Apple's markup and it probably wouldn't affect end-user carried-subsidized price.
If you read the article you will see there is a shortage of workers. In a normal economy you would raise the income levels of the workers until you are competitive in the market. But in china classes are cancelled and people are shipped in to work at the lower rates. Thats shameful.
I
iFanboy
Guest
Um, they are.
Each of those organisations have separate registered companies and separate legal personality in practically every country in the world.
They are international organisations who reach a global audience through global companies.
This is the same for every country.
Consumers want cost effective products, but cost effective products can't be built where employees require first world salaries and benefits.
Ultimately if you ask consumers whether they would prefer a $1,000 iPhone or the current prices where the facts of the construction are "uncomfortable truths" that are swept under the carpet, guess where the majority would lie?
Companies react to consumers, and right now the majority don't want to look at uncomfortable facts of construction, they don't want to put in a position where they know the truth and care about it.
One corporation. Not separate. American based.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc
The rest of what you said is very true.
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I think the point most people are missing is that the workforce WILLING to work at foxconn actually exceeds the demand. Students are CHOOSING to work at factories because it is profitable based on their living needs. Moreover, if they don't take the job then someone else will.
I don't know why people get up in arms over this. Most countries have child labor of some sort. I've been working since I was 10. And no, not a lemonade stand or for my parents business.
This has been going on for centuries. You think china has it bad? Take a look at Africa or any number of other countries. China is currently the best off they have been in a long time.
The fact is we all sometimes use products that were produced by unsavory means. What's that? You bought some made is the USA threads?! Great! Well guess what.... The plastic bag you carried it out with was likely made in Vietnam.
I'm not saying its right or wrong, but child labor, slavery, etc- are economic issues and they've been around a lot longer than Apple.
This has been going on for centuries. You think china has it bad? Take a look at Africa or any number of other countries. China is currently the best off they have been in a long time.
The fact is we all sometimes use products that were produced by unsavory means. What's that? You bought some made is the USA threads?! Great! Well guess what.... The plastic bag you carried it out with was likely made in Vietnam.
I'm not saying its right or wrong, but child labor, slavery, etc- are economic issues and they've been around a lot longer than Apple.
I know what most factory workers are paid in China as know many people that deal directly with factories. Trust me $240 is a godsend.
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Commonly referred to as the yuan in China
My fault, you know what I meant.
Doesn't make it right. My gf's sister was an English teacher in China and she got paid around 2500 dollars a month and that was 8-10 years ago. She lived on a very tight budget near Beijing in a _nice_ one bedroom apartment.
I really don't know anything about factory workers but I bet most of the kids they are closing school to work in the factory live at home or with friends. Searching the web is showing that bad 1 bedroom apartments are 300 US per month, in the cities are easily 1000+. That's just rent, no food utilities, etc.
So regardless if that's a good factory wage doesn't mean its good.
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Oh thank god....screw em then!
How does other companies doing the same thing make Apple innocent?
"Hey, I murdered someone, but other people did too, so it's ok, right?"
I suppose having students hanging out in coffee bars on twitter all day, getting massive student loan debt, and occupying wall street is better.
