What would it look like to have an iPhone that’s entirely produced in the U.S.? With recent tariff bouts occurring every which way, it can be incredibly hard to keep track of everything. Now, as the U.S. continues its fight with China, the current administration has some ideas for Apple that are unlikely to manifest. Even if they did, it may print a weird picture for the future of the iPhone.
Can the iPhone Be Made in America? Highly Unlikely
With recent tariffs shaking up the global economy, one of the largest companies impacted by this tidal wave is Apple (for better and for worse). With America and China currently battling it out through tariff increases, the possibility that consumers should expect to pay more for their next iPhone remains unclear.
Presently, Apple relies heavily on China for iPhone production, and recent tariff wars have made the future of iPhone prices incredibly murky. While Apple has been making efforts towards avoiding this situation (including a $500 billion investment in the U.S.), the Trump Administration has its own suggestions.
According to The Guardian, During an April 8 briefing with the White House, press secretary Karoline Leavitt acknowledged Apple’s investment while also making note of the recent trade tariffs and suggested that Apple should consider the United States for manufacturing. On April 9, President Trump also shared his opinions, stating on his social media platform Truth Social that now would be a “great time” for other companies to join Apple and move production to the U.S.
However, would this really pay off for Apple and its fans? It’s rather unlikely.
Problems with Moving iPhone Production to the U.S.
As noted by The Guardian, many executives alongside Apple’s own Tim Cook and former executive Steve Jobs have maintained the position that other nations, including China, have a much stronger workforce for iPhone production rather than the U.S. While anyone in America likely assumes that it’s a matter of wages, The Guardian observes that Tim Cook mentioned it was an issue of trained labor going back to an interview with Fortune in 2017.
Even in 2010, Steve Jobs recognized the issue. Recently, those that are fans of Apple have likely heard the commerce secretary state that “millions of human beings” in America will be “screwing in little screws to make iPhones”. While the press secretary may have high hopes, the reality of the situation isn’t as cut-and-dry.
Essentially, even if “millions” of Americans had the training to produce iPhones, it’s still pretty likely that this would not ease the cost for consumers. Even if Apple chose to move its entire production to the U.S., this is still a process that takes time. Those familiar with the woes of COVID-19 are likely all too familiar with the situation and likely already know the effort it takes Apple to move its manufacturing processes.
Of course, federal wage laws in the states would likely complicate things as well.
So What About My iPhone?
For consumers, the road ahead is bumpy, and it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if it remained that way for the rest of the year (at minimum). Considering we’re having these issues now, it seems pretty likely that they will only continue into the future. The likelihood that the U.S. will see Apple bringing its entire iPhone production stateside seems incredibly unlikely for a myriad of reasons.
To be even more realistic, the odds that Apple can bring full production to the U.S. while keeping prices where they are now seems even less likely. While panic-buying the latest iPhone may still be short-sighted in my opinion, those waiting for the release of the iPhone 17 (myself included) may find themselves surprised by the price in the fall. With Apple typically announcing the latest iPhone in September, fans have a long time to see what happens next.
If the entire month of April has shown us anything, right now is a great time to remain paying attention.
It’s impossible. full stop. Quit saying that his is a possibility.
Rather than concentrate on the idea that the USA, as the world’s largest economy had anything to gain by the ideas of this depot, you fall for the bait.
You do not want to be the assembler.
You want to be the designer.
Donald t-rump is an idiot. His followers are sheep.