Saturday, July 21, 2012

Made in America: Apple's supply chain increasing US production

Made in America: Apple's supply chain increasing US production

"Over the last year, some of Apple's key component suppliers have begun increasing their U.S.-based production, which could be a sign that more of the iPhone is already made in America than one might think.
When Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook was recently asked at the D10 conference about the possibility of his company building products in America, he noted that some crucial parts for the iPhone and iPad are already manufactured stateside. Specifically, he identified the ARM processors built by Samsung in Austin, Texas, or the Corning Gorilla Glass made in Kentucky.

But the iPhone and iPad — Apple's two most popular products — are made up of much more than the CPU and glass that Cook highlighted. These complex mobile machines include power controllers, proximity sensors, cellular radios, Wi-Fi chips, audio and video chips, accelerometers and more — and a number of those parts come from American companies.

Of course, there's no guarantee that any of the parts found in Apple's products are, with absolute certainty, made in America, even if they're sold by a U.S. company. Many chipmakers build their products at a number factories located around the world. And ever-secretive Apple doesn't even disclose who makes many of the parts found in its products, leaving enthusiasts to tear the company's devices apart and hunt for clues, sometimes to no avail."

No comments:

Post a Comment