How much would an American made iPhone cost?

[Disc Golfer]

Keep in mind that $14 an hour is almost 30k, so really you are not that far off.

14 an hour is 27k, before taxes. If you don't think 15k/yr is a lot of money more power to you.

 

[Dwalls90]

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Apple geniuses make more than 10-14 per hour...

 

[Geckotek]

Build quality comes from the orders up top. How fast will they be made? How long is each worker allowed to spend per unit? What materials will be used? How often is the product checked before it goes out?

None of these things are dependent on where the factory is. Orders are orders. Thus, the only difference I can see is that you're attributing poor quality to the Chinese people themselves. That they're somehow inherently inferior.

So forgive me for agreeing with other poster but yes, I say that's stupid and I can't respect it.

To be fair, the reason most people attribute China for cheap quality is from the Chinese based companies where the decisions from the top are made by Chinese nationals that will cut whatever corners it takes to manufacture the cheapest product they can and undercut products from competing nations. Just take a look at all the crap "MP4" iPod knock-offs that have flooded the market. So China has earned that reputation on their own.

 

[Disc Golfer]

Apple geniuses make more than 10-14 per hour...

Fortunately none of the people in question would have been mistaken for a genius, apple or otherwise.

 

[mad-dog-one]

Hard to say. $40,000 is less than what auto factory workers make. Yeah yeah, I know everyone say they're overpaid...but I thought that 25% less than their number was a good guess. But I can't say for sure, of course.

At any rate, I would point out that even at $10 per hour they'd be making 10x what Foxconn employees do. So even your lowest guess would raise the cost of the phone significantly.

If you have to pay union wages, it will undermine competitive pricing for a US manufactured iPhone like the trade unions crippled the US auto manufacturers. The US has the workforce talent, the natural resources, the innovation, and the work ethic. Nevertheless, the US cannot be competitive in the world marketplace, while continuing to support unrealistic salary and employee benefits demanded by trade unions. Everybody is important, but we are not all superstars and semi-skilled workers are not entitled to excessive salaries. Let capitalism and freedom reign and superstars will emerge, based on merit, as the US workforce recaptures the world manufacturing market. This competition-based capitalist philosophy built the greatest nation on Earth and can save her from our pathway to mediocrity.