🚨The iPhone Odyssey: Why America Lost the Race to Build It
Bringing iPhone production to the U.S. sounds patriotic—but it’s far from practical. It’s not just about cheaper labour or factory tools. Apple’s entire supply chain is deeply rooted in Asia, perfected over decades. In China, component suppliers and assembly lines operate side by side—keeping production fast, costs low, and quality high.
Remember when Motorola tried U.S. manufacturing in 2013? High costs, slow output, and low demand shut it down within a year.
Today, over 85% of iPhones are assembled in China, using 2,700 parts from 187 suppliers in 28 countries. Even glass from Kentucky gets touchscreen layers in Korea and chips from Taiwan.
Apple is expanding in India—now assembling 16% of iPhones—but the heart of production remains Asian.
The iPhone isn’t just a product; it’s a global collaboration. So, can American soil ever truly host its birth? Or is globalization now etched into every circuit?
