Why the iPhone Will Probably Never Be Made in America

Bringing iPhone production to the U.S. might sound patriotic — but in reality, it’s highly unlikely. It’s not just about cheaper labor or lack of tools. Apple has spent decades building a hyper-efficient supply chain in Asia, and that setup can’t just be relocated to Texas overnight.

A reminder: Motorola tried something similar in 2013 with a Texas factory. It failed — costs were high, production was slow, and demand was low. That effort quietly shut down.

Today, fewer than 5% of iPhone components come from the U.S. Even when the glass is from Kentucky, the touchscreen layers are built in Korea, and the chips come from Taiwan's TSMC — which is only just testing small-scale production in Arizona. As for assembly? Still 85% happens in China.

Each iPhone includes 2,700 parts sourced from 187 suppliers across 28 countries. In China, many of these suppliers and factories are located right next to each other — slashing costs and boosting efficiency to keep Apple globally competitive.

Yes, Apple is shifting some assembly to India — now building 16% of global iPhones there, with a goal of 20%. India offers cheaper labor, government incentives, and a growing local market. But most components still come from China, Korea, and Taiwan.

The reality: the iPhone is a global product — but its heart is in Asia. And for now, that’s where it will stay.

Will tech giants ever bring critical manufacturing back home, or is globalization built into every circuit now?

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