Why the iPhone Isn’t—and Likely Never Will Be—Made in America
The idea of assembling iPhones in the U.S. sounds appealing—patriotic, even. But the reality? It’s nearly impossible. And it goes far beyond labor costs or a lack of skilled workers.
Apple has spent decades crafting a hyper-efficient supply chain across Asia. It’s not just one factory—it’s an entire interconnected ecosystem of parts, partners, and logistics that can’t be relocated overnight.
Just look at Motorola’s 2013 attempt to build smartphones in Texas. It flopped due to high costs, sluggish production, and weak demand. The factory quietly shut down within a year.
Today, under 5% of iPhone components come from the U.S. The glass might be from Kentucky, but the touch layers are Korean, and chips come from Taiwan—where TSMC leads the pack, with only a small pilot operation now underway in Arizona. As for final assembly? China still handles 85% of it.
Each iPhone contains 2,700 parts from 187 suppliers spread across 28 countries. In China, many of these suppliers are clustered together—cutting costs and ramping up speed in a way that’s nearly impossible to replicate elsewhere.
Apple is branching out: 16% of iPhones are now assembled in India, and that figure is expected to grow to 20%. India offers low labor costs, government incentives, and a booming domestic market. But the key components? Still sourced from China, Korea, and Taiwan.
At the end of the day, the iPhone isn’t built in one place—it’s a global product, powered by an Asian supply chain. And that’s not changing anytime soon.
Will tech giants ever bring critical manufacturing back home—or has globalization become part of the circuit board?
