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#iPhone Manufacturing: Why It Won’t Move to America

Building iPhones in the U.S. sounds patriotic, but it’s highly impractical. It’s not just about higher labor costs — Apple’s supply chain is deeply rooted in Asia, built over decades for maximum efficiency.

A failed attempt by Motorola in 2013 to manufacture in Texas showed the challenges: high costs, slow output, and poor demand.

Today, less than 5% of iPhone parts are made in the U.S. Even components from Kentucky or chips tested in Arizona rely heavily on Asian production — with 85% of assembly still done in China.

Each iPhone has 2,700 parts from 187 suppliers across 28 countries. In China, these suppliers work in close proximity, streamlining production.

Apple is expanding to India (16% of iPhones now assembled there), but key parts still come from China, Korea, and Taiwan.

In short, the iPhone is a global product powered by an Asian supply chain — and it’s unlikely to shift home anytime soon.

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