U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick revealed on CNBC that Apple CEO Tim Cook is eager to bring iPhone manufacturing to the United States, but with a catch: it hinges on advanced robotics.
In a recent conversation, Cook emphasized that robotic arms are essential to make domestic production economically viable, dismissing the notion of U.S. workers manually assembling iPhones at scale. This aligns with President Trump’s tariff policies, which impose over 100% levies on Chinese imports to incentivize American manufacturing.
Lutnick’s comments clarify earlier concerns that tariffs could inflate iPhone prices to $3,000, suggesting automation could keep costs competitive. Apple’s strategic pivot to India, where new iPhone factories began production this year, reflects efforts to diversify from China amid trade tensions. However, Lutnick’s vision of a robotic-driven U.S. manufacturing resurgence raises questions about job creation, as automation may limit opportunities for American workers.
Apple’s robotics focus could reshape its supply chain, but the timeline and economic impact remain uncertain as tariffs and global trade dynamics evolve.
MacDailyNews Take: We have robots to take iPhones apart, but not to put them together. Run factoeiwa full of Daisy bots in reverse. 😉
(Joke: We know Daisy is far too crude to assemble iPhones.)
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Where do they think the robots are going to be made, in America? Not.
LMFAO, so the plan is to bring back manufacturing so you can use robots? That sounds like a huge job creator? How STUPID are Americans. I guess we know as baby bone spurs today is upset at Amazon because they may show the people how badly he is actually screwing them over with tariffs. What a shithole country this has become
Yeah, but if you left there would be one less turd in the hole.
Trump is not at fault for the pain we experience while the problem we never should have allowed is being fixed. But what would you know.
Or Apple could just hire actual people and lower its profit margin. You know, like in the time of Happy Days and Leave It to Beaver where corporations existed for its employees and customers instead of the stock market.
This would still make iPhone more expensive then now…
Yes, but would employ US workers and afford better national security.
Another MAGA idiot! And where do the majority of parts come from? Yes, outside US!!
If automated assembly was possible then Apple would have done that in China.
And the phones build in the US will be very expensive!
A few points:
1. the factory jobs that build iPhones are highly skilled, mind-numbingly monotonous, and insanely low-paying.
2. Apple builds iPhones in China in >100,000 population factory cites. Who wants one in your back-yard? And which Americans are willing to live in such cities? (During COVID, workers slept at the factories.)
3. iPhones are built in Chinese factories. Guess where the machines that build the iPhones are built? In other Chinese factories. (Re articles on India trying to get said machines shipped to India.)
4. Seems like if Trump wants to “punish” China he should have made nice with other countries to present and unified bloc against China, and at least disperse supply chains across friendly countries, especially our allies close by, like say Canada and Mexico. Now all of our allies are looking at USA with extreme skepticism.
5. Trump wants the USA to be No. 1, yet he is randomly defunding dozens and dozens of research labs, institutions, and schools (for no good reason), and revoking VISAs (also for no good reason) of the best and brightest foreign students who come here LEGALLY to make a contribution to our society. But yeah, let’s get low-paying, bottom-of-the-food-chain factory jobs back in the US!
6. Don’t get me wrong, USA should seek to get some of its manufacturing base back, but Trump seems to have taken the most destructive path possible to achieve that end. If you’re gonna tick off China, I’m totally fine with that, but DON’T tick off everyone else, USA needs their help to wean itself off Chinese dependence.
I am sorry but are Americans really this stupid? Why do you think the late 1940’s and the 1950’s were the hey day of US manufacturing? Anyone? Maybe look at the destruction caused by WW2? While the rest of the world lay in rubble the US cities are fully intact. Do you think that may’ve something to do about it? And maybe it just shows how bad the US was as in just a few years Germany, Japan, Russia and many other countries not only recovered by by-passed the US. One of these days you will be forced to live in the world of reality instead of your bubble fantasy.
In answer to your question yes, some Americans are that stupid because in ALL countries there are stupid people.