The single
most important internal component for the iPhone and iPad is already
manufactured in the U.S.
 |
| Apple gets key chips for the iPad from U.S.-based manufacturing sources. |
Key chips for the iPhone and iPad are being made in the U.S. -- future U.S.-made Macs, asdisclosed
today,
notwithstanding.
This year, CEO Tim Cook
has been talking about U.S. manufacturing more than usual. Partly to counter
Apple's largely make-it-in-China strategy but also because of U.S.
manufacturing strengths.
The same essential points he made in a Bloomberg interview today he
made back in May.
To wit: "It's not
known well that the engine for the iPhone and iPad is made in the U.S., and
many of these are also exported.... The glass is made in Kentucky," he
said today to Bloomberg.
Making the "engine" -- essentially the Apple A5 and A6
chips -- is something the U.S. excels at. Intel fabricates the engines for
the Mac and
PC industry at multibillion-dollar "fabs" (or fabrication facilities)
in the U.S. And Globalfoundries and IBM make processors on a smaller scale in
New York.
In Apple's case, the A5
and A6 processors are made in Texas (by Samsung presumably, though Apple has
never confirmed this).
And it's no mistake that
Apple wants this high-end, high-tech production in the U.S. Processor tech is
arguably the single most important thing inside the iPad and iPhone. That's why
Apple has taken control of the design and has spent millions of dollars
acquiring companies to get that expertise.
And it's also no mistake
that Apple has been talking to Intel about manufacturing future Apple chips.
Indeed, it makes sense to hook up the world's premier device company with the
world's premier chipmaker.
That, along with more
U.S.-based Mac assembly, could make Apple's production footprint in the U.S. a
lot bigger than it has been in a long time.
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