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They absolutely could. They could save a little money by taking the charger out of the box to cover higher labor costs. Oh wait.
If they really wanted to cut costs, they could just take the iPhones out of the boxes, and sell us the empty box.
 
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Obviously it doesn’t make sense for Apple to produce 100% of their products in the US, but why not some % of them? (5%? 10%?) Several years ago, many analysts, journalists, economists, and probably MR commentators like yourself were certain that Apple chips would never be produced in the US (it was called “impossible”). Yet somehow there’s now a real, live TSMC factory in Arizona producing chips for Apple devices.

I am not defending these tariffs. I am only stating the obvious - that it isn’t anywhere near “impossible” for Apple to manufacture & assemble some small percentage of their American-destined products in the same country where they will ultimately be sold.
Sure, they could manufacture “some small percentage”, especially But how does that resolve the issue at hand? US is a third of all iPhones sold. The claim is that Apple can make the iPhone in the US. Not that they can make “5 to 10%” of them in the US.

The TSMC factory produces “small numbers”, and no one knows which devices they go in. Also, of course it’s possible to make chips in US, at higher prices. Intel exists. But making chips is not making iPhones.
 
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The American empire has been in decline for many, many years. It's mainly the dollar's status as the world's reserve currency that has kept us on top. When the dollar does finally lose its reserve currency status the world will be a very different place.
This is exactly what some European media is claiming is starting to happen. The reason the USD is the reserve currency is because of stability. If the current uncertainties continue for a prolonged period, this trust is lost.
 
Anyone who thinks Trump is dumb or incompetent is completely delusional and/or brainwashed by the leftist media.

The man has single-handedly remade American politics, global trade, and is on the verge of remaking the world order. He destroyed the Republican Party in his first term and he has all but destroyed the Democratic Party… the party that united with Satan himself (what the Democrats called him just a few years ago) Dick Cheney. He’s draining the swamp and all of its corruption, and the establishment, the global elites, and the media are panicked.

Whether one agrees with his politics or not, by any objective measure, Trump has had very successful first term, and has accomplished more in the first 70 days of his second term than any other president in history, with 70 countries now asking to make deals, and if they’re equitable, that should benefit Americans for decades to come.
Let’s talk facts, rather than name-calling the other side (note: I don’t support neither democrats nor republicans, so I don’t feel attacked by namecalling democrats. I support the idea of a middle ground that currently doesn’t exist in US politics):

If Trump is not “dumb”, please explain why he went on TV with a big board that presented trade deficits as “tariffs”. If he is not “dumb”, there is only one other option: Deception. Which is worse: A dumb president, or a president that purposefully deceits the American people?

I don’t know which is worse, but I know that both options are BAD.
 
it will be expensive.
developing manufacturing process in US will take years.
are people willing to pay more till manufacturing process is developed in US?
it is basic math.
wages are higher in US compared to China.

Yes wages, electricity and services are more expensive in the US. I guess Apple will continue to manufacture parts in China and do the assembly in India which is tariffed at 27% it's a better deal than the U.S. at best the iPhone will be 27% more expensive.
 
However, dismissing local manufacturing as impossible is a self-fulfillng prophecy.
It’s not that it’s impossible - it’s that it’s impossible without extensive investment and training which will likely take a decade or longer. Not only is that not in progress, it hasn’t even been proposed yet. In the meantime we all have to pay more today.
 
Nice try, but no. It’s not about “pricing themselves out of the market.” It’s about the decoupling of American wages from the nation’s prosperity back in the 80s thanks to Reagan and “trickle down economics.” If you want to accept garbage wages because you are okay with having no other options, that’s on you. Don’t expect the rest of us to live that way.

View attachment 2500577
But… but… but… Socialism is bad.

From the outside, it’s truly sad to see the working American voting for the exact policies that keeps them down. We used to admire the US. Now we pity it. And the more they wave their flags with fists pumping, the more the pity grows. I’m not even gloating, I am honestly sad. 20 years ago I had a dream that one day I would spend a year and travel one week in every state in USA. That is no longer my dream. And I stopped blaming Trump for it. Trump is not the disease, Trump is the symptom.
 
Anyone who thinks Trump is dumb or incompetent is completely delusional and/or brainwashed by the leftist media.

The man has single-handedly remade American politics, global trade, and is on the verge of remaking the world order. He destroyed the Republican Party in his first term and he has all but destroyed the Democratic Party… the party that united with Satan himself (what the Democrats called him just a few years ago) Dick Cheney. He’s draining the swamp and all of its corruption, and the establishment, the global elites, and the media are panicked.

Whether one agrees with his politics or not, by any objective measure, Trump has had very successful first term, and has accomplished more in the first 70 days of his second term than any other president in history, with 70 countries now asking to make deals, and if they’re equitable, that should benefit Americans for decades to come.
I'm betting you have zero money saved up and in investments, and living paycheck to paycheck. even the maga influencers are mad at trump.
 
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You'd be speaking German if it wasn't for America and all the allies though, right?

How come there are no Chryslers driving on the Autobahn? ( I mean, don't say it's because too much chrome falls off of the cars at high speed, even though it's true) - It is too hard to import American cars into Europe is one of the reasons. Europe is taking Billions of dollars from Google and Apple - why? Well it is because they can! I think the world will be looking at free trade and Nato free rides a little differently because of Trump.
The reason that there are hardly any Chryslers, or Ford F150s, etc. driving on German Autobahns - or any Highway outside America - is that the cars are not suitable for respective markets. Too big and not economical. Simple as that. There are plenty of Teslas on Autobahns, though.
 
They're spinning up chip fabs as we speak. The cover glass is already made here and has been since the original iPhone. It's definitely doable.
Give America 40+ years, then maybe it is doable. 4 years? Nah, unless some sort of emergency is declared and people are recruited en mass and work for free to replicate the infrastructure China has been building in the past 30 years.
 
Trump thinks he can win a land war in Asia
It’s just silly
Some reporter asked the question I think went like this Apple build 95% of their products in china
The response was trump believes that Apple will make iPhones in America
Even though cook has said they can’t on a number of factors
 
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You'd be speaking German if it wasn't for America and all the allies though, right?
And you’d still be British if it wasn’t for the French. Stop living in the past, because compared to Europe, you have a very short one.
How come there are no Chryslers driving on the Autobahn? ( I mean, don't say it's because too much chrome falls off of the cars at high speed, even though it's true) - It is too hard to import American cars into Europe is one of the reasons. Europe is taking Billions of dollars from Google and Apple - why? Well it is because they can! I think the world will be looking at free trade and Nato free rides a little differently because of Trump.
1: The 10% tariff on US cars isn’t why people aren’t buying them. It’s because you don’t make the cars we want. As proven by Tesla, if you actually make a car we want, people will buy it.

2: By your own logic, the solution to that 10% tariff is to manufacture them in Europe, to get around the tariff. Like Tesla. Not sure how that helps the US though.

3: It’s very easy to avoid being fined by EU. Simply design your product to follow local law, whether you agree with the law or not. Just like when I sell my products to the US, I have to pay for separate safety tests etc, even though the tests are less strict than the ones I do for other markets. So stop whining about regulations being “difficult”. If US would be willing to adopt the same standards as in Europe, they could make the same product everywhere. Comparably, it’s easy as pie for a European car manufacturer to sell into US, because if you can pass EU law, the US law is cakewalk. Also, EU don’t only fine US companies, they fine European companies to when they break the rules. That’s the conditions of doing trade here. If US companies can’t handle it, that’s on them.
 
And you’d still be British if it wasn’t for the French. Stop living in the past, because compared to Europe, you have a very short one.

1: The 10% tariff on US cars isn’t why people aren’t buying them. It’s because you don’t make the cars we want. As proven by Tesla, if you actually make a car we want, people will buy it.

2: By your own logic, the solution to that 10% tariff is to manufacture them in Europe, to get around the tariff. Like Tesla. Not sure how that helps the US though.

3: It’s very easy to avoid being fined by EU. Simply design your product to follow local law, whether you agree with the law or not. Just like when I sell my products to the US, I have to pay for separate safety tests etc, even though the tests are less strict than the ones I do for other markets. So stop whining about regulations being “difficult”. If US would be willing to adopt the same standards as in Europe, they could make the same product everywhere. Comparably, it’s easy as pie for a European car manufacturer to sell into US, because if you can pass EU law, the US law is cakewalk. Also, EU don’t only fine US companies, they fine European companies to when they break the rules. That’s the conditions of doing trade here. If US companies can’t handle it, that’s on them.

Please, the EU car industry wouldn't exist if the EU didn't put tarriffs on China. EU cars are pretty much garbage.

And the only reason Tesla sells so well, is because everybody else sucks, except for Chinese cars, but Chinese cars are effectively boycotted by the EU.

If it wasn't for tarrifs that the EU has put in place, you would see much different cars driving in the EU.
 
You have to look at the quality and character of the people who tell you these stories and then, deep down, you will know it can't happen and certainly not in the short term. Hello Android for many.
 
I won’t need to rant on too much. Those who are smart and prudent know what I’m talking about. The young gen don’t even realize because they’re too young and naive but made in USA was top shelf back in my day. And pride and craftsmanship quality was on display when building homes back after the war. The best homes built still standing are in the 50-60’s. Today’s craftsmanship and quality have been destroyed by the younger generation.

America is truly done for. And yes I’m proudly moving on with family to China because they will become the new USA of economic and innovation powerhouse.

All the bickering about a president they hate with all their heart because the media propaganda machine has succeeded so well.

It’s not overnight what Trump in trying to help fix but the short sighted young generation these days only think with personal feelings about everything and have absolutely no sense of how to live long and prosperous.

Sad times for us old Americans and I’m sad what America has become and will become based on all this hateful vitriol. South Korea, Taiwan, China quality were awful back then. Products were just terrible. But their govt said enough is enough we need to look into the future and they did it all with national pride themselves united. But Americans today just have no clue and are brainwashed to continuously hate.

China especially couldn’t build iPhones back then. But they knew they had to work and succeed and with that drive they beat every other country.

Wake up folks. Stop hating so much and sooner than later if you don’t speak Chinese you’re in for some major life changing events.
 
You have to look at the quality and character of the people who tell you these stories and then, deep down, you will know it can't happen and certainly not in the short term. Hello Android for many.

You people do realize smartphones like the $400 Motorola Moto X was made in the USA? They were even cheaper than Chinese iPhone's.

And Motorola didn't go to China, because American workers cannot make smartphones (which they were doing), it's because the CEO wants more $$$$$ for himself, while screwing over the average American workers.

And for all you people applauding moving jobs to China, you do realize that all the cost savings goes into the pockets of senior management and shareholders mostly, and not to you as the consumers, and especially not the average American workers?

I actually do sports at a very a high level. One of my hand-made sports equipment when it was made in the USA, it was $10.000. However, now they have outsourced it to China and guess what, the Chinese made version now costs $15.000. You would think this product would be cheaper outsourcing it to China? Nope, all the cost savings went to people like the CEO, not the customer. The USA hand-made version was cheaper, can't make this **** up.
 
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Please, the EU car industry wouldn't exist if the EU didn't put tarriffs on China. EU cars are pretty much garbage.

And the only reason Tesla sells so well, is because everybody else sucks, except for Chinese cars, but Chinese cars are effectively boycotted by the EU.

If it wasn't for tarrifs that the EU has put in place, you would see much different cars driving in the EU.
Yeap same goes for biosecurity. US bleating about American farmers not getting access to Australia. They absolutely do and zero tariff too, but they must meet our biosecurity standards that our famers also have to conform with. If they met the standard, not only could they export to Australia, but Americans would get higher quality and safer meat on the domestic market too, if they kept our standards. No, can't have that. Whine instead.
 
Please, the EU car industry wouldn't exist if the EU didn't put tarriffs on China. EU cars are pretty much garbage.
You mean, just like the US car industry doesn’t exist in Europe?

I am happy that you acknowledge that China is kicking the US’ butt in terms of manufacturing, that’s what I have been claiming all along.
 
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You mean, just like the US car industry doesn’t exist in Europe?

I am happy that you acknowledge that China is kicking the US’ butt in terms of manufacturing, that’s what I have been claiming all along.

I'm not sure if you have heard about Corvette cars, they have been very succesful in European Motorsport, such as Le Mans 24 racing.

And their "cheap" Corvette, is faster on tracks like Nurburgring than more expensive European cars, such as Mclaren's, Bugatti and Ferrari's.

It's around the same price as a Nissan GT-R but faster. So, the quality of this American car is excellent, especially when price is taking into account.
 
You people do realize smartphones like the $400 Motorola Moto X was made in the USA? They were even cheaper than Chinese iPhone's.
And how many tens of millions were produced?
And Motorola didn't go to China, because American workers cannot make smartphones (which they were doing), it's because the CEO wants more $$$$$ for himself, while screwing over the average American workers.

And for all you people applauding moving jobs to China, you do realize that all the cost savings goes into the pockets of senior management and shareholders mostly, and not to you as the consumers, and especially not the average American workers?

I actually do sports at a very a high level. One of my hand-made sports equipment when it was made in the USA, it was $10.000. However, now they have outsourced it to China and guess what, the Chinese made version now costs $15.000. You would think this product would be cheaper outsourcing it to China? Nope, all the cost savings went to people like the CEO, not the customer. The USA hand-made version was cheaper, can't make this **** up.
That’s the nature of capitalism. Do you want capitalism or not? You can’t both support Trump and complain about capitalism (well, you can. You can also put on a clown suit and sing Barbie Girl from the top of the Empire State Building, but that also doesn’t make sense).
 
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They could certainly and I would like to see them do so but the biggest problem will be the unions who will try and extort everything they can from Apple. Were already seeing it with those idiots in retail. Get rid of the unions and you'll be fine.
Don’t like unions? Don’t join one. But who are you to decide the lives of other people who want to join one? Who appointed you king?
 
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And how many tens of millions were produced?

That’s the nature of capitalism. Do you want capitalism or not? You can’t both support Trump and complain about capitalism (well, you can. You can also put on a clown suit and sing Barbie Girl from the top of the Empire State Building, but that also doesn’t make sense).
And from which countries did the components for final assembly come from?

And how is that US assembly going now in 2025? Is Motorola still assembling their phones in the US?
 
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And how many tens of millions were produced?

That’s the nature of capitalism. Do you want capitalism or not? You can’t both support Trump and complain about capitalism (well, you can. You can also put on a clown suit and sing Barbie Girl from the top of the Empire State Building, but that also doesn’t make sense).

I'm not a Trump supporter, I'm not his target audience. But I do see what his voter base is complaining about, because I see it with my own eyes how many jobs are being outsourced. And this is not just cheap labor, this includes $800k/year jobs that are now being outsourced to Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Poland, India ...
 
I'm not a Trump supporter, I'm not his target audience. But I do see what his voter base is complaining about, because I see it with my own eyes how many jobs are being outsourced. And this is not just cheap labor, this includes $800k/year jobs that are now being outsourced to Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Poland, India ...
Welcome to the globe.

Americans need not worry since they are at near full employment.
 
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