Is the US-built iPhone just a matter of time? Probably not

Jul 26, 2017 06:11 GMT  ·  By

Apple has pledged to build no less than 3 huge production plans in the United States, according to President Donald Trump, though for the moment it’s not yet clear what devices the Cupertino-based technology giant wants to manufacture locally.

Speaking with the Wall Street Journal, Donald Trump explained that Apple’s future plants would be “big, big, big,” likely generating thousands of jobs in the country.

“I spoke to [Mr. Cook], he’s promised me three big plants — big, big, big,” Trump was quoted as saying. “I said you know, Tim, unless you start building your plants in this country, I won’t consider my administration an economic success. He called me, and he said they are going forward.”

While many believe this could get us one step closer to a US-built iPhone, there are slight chances for this to happen, mostly because the majority of suppliers are based in Asia. Assembling iPhones in the Asian region continues to be part of Apple’s plans for the next-generation models, and more likely, the US-based facilities would be either used for accessories or even for the car project that the company is believed to be working on behind the closed doors.

US-built iPhone very unlikely

If the latter speculation is accurate, then Apple’s production facilities should be ready in the United States around 2020, when the company could be ready to step into the automotive market.

Moving part of Apple’s production to the United States has been a priority for Donald Trump ever since his campaign, with the now-president calling for a boycott on Apple products because they are built outside the United States.

Ironically, Donald Trump was spotted tweeting from an iPhone, though he also claimed to be using an Android device which he wanted to stick with even after becoming the President of the United States, in spite of the policy enforced by security agencies and requiring a super-secure phone for the country’s president.

Apple hasn’t obviously released a statement on its possible US factories, but more information should emerge soon, especially because Donald Trump can’t usually keep a secret for more than 2 minutes.