Where Are iPhones Made? The Journey of Apple Products

Are you one of those who think that the iPhone is entirely an American Product? The one who thinks that iPhone is designed, manufactured, and assembled in the United States. I was also thinking the same thing. But this is not true. iPhone is neither manufactured nor assembled in the United States. The question then arises, where are iPhones made? I will answer your query in this article.

iPhone is designed, manufactured, and assembled at different locations in different countries. Before it is finished into a fine product, the products are imported and taken from different locations across the world. They are assembled in a facility like Foxconn. Then imported to different locations to be sold out. 

For the first time, apple began to assemble the current generation iPhone model, iPhone 14, in India. Apple opted to move just 5% of its iPhone 14 production from China to India. Whereas analysts estimate that Apple will relocate 25% of its iPhone production to India in near future. 

In this article, we will try to explore the different aspects that pertain to the manufacturing and production of iPhones. Stick around to know. 

Difference Between Assembled vs. Manufactured

Before you get an iPhone in your hands, it has to undergo a series of processes. From manufacturing to assembling, the journey is a long one. Before it is assembled and shaped into a complete product. There are several stages that the production of the iPhone has to go through. Let us dive into it even deeper to know what constitutes Manufactured and how is it different from Assembled. Let us know the difference between the two.

Manufactured

Manufacturing is the process of making the different and several components to go into the iPhone. Apple designs as well as sell the iPhone. But it has nothing to do with the manufacturing of the components. Instead, it borrows parts from manufacturers across the world. The manufacturers are made to deliver the individual parts. The manufacturers are names of high repute and credibility in the particular field and specialize in particular items. 

Assembled: 

The process of taking these separate and individual parts and components built by manufacturers who are specialists in the field. These components are combined and finished into a fine product. This is what Assembling means. 

Collecting different and several parts and then combining them to make an object into a finished product is assembling. 

Where Are iPhones Made? A Look at the Locations

iPhone is the brainchild of American designers and industrial designers of America. The software is thereby designed locally. But the fact is that iPhone is neither manufactured nor assembled in America. In contrast, manufacturers from across the world deliver the part to be assembled in China. 

1.  Lanthanides, Scandium, Yttrium, and some other alien-sounding names make the iPhone light, bright and loud. The color screen, glass polishing, circuitry, speakers, and vibration unit are manufactured with the help of these rare earth minerals. All these rare earth minerals are mined in China, Mongolia to be precise. 
2. LCD panel is sourced from Sharp, Japan Display, and LG.Glass layer is mostly imported from Japan and Korea. 
3. Microchips are imported from Samsung, Samsung is the biggest rival of Apple.  TSMC and SK Hynix, Taiwan-based manufacturers, are taken on board by Apple for Chip Making. 
4. STMicroelectronics, the gyroscope used for tracking the smartphone’s orientation, is taken from the Geneva-based French Italian Company. 
5. The camera is made by a Japenese Company that has offices in different countries of the world, such as  Australia and South Korea, among others. 
6. Apple has decided to manufacture the iPhone in India. Some portion of the iPhone 15 Pro Max is being manufactured in India. However, it is just 5% as of now. But the percentage will go up.

The Manufacturing Process: How iPhones Are Made

Where are iPhones made? Lets check out. Apple buys many of its components from around 200 suppliers around the world. Apple orders many of these components from the sellers and sells them to one of its contract manufacturers located in Zhengzhou named Foxconn, the Taiwanese company. 

Foxconn facility in Zhengzhou is spread over an area of 2.2 square miles that has up to 350,000 workers employed there. The entire operation of working there is termed F.A.T.P ( Final, Assembly, Testing, and Packing)

An iPhone is assembled in 400 steps. It includes polishing, Soldering, drilling, and filtering screws. Foxconn facility has the ability to produce 500,000 iPhones a day, roughly 350 iPhones per minute. 

Once the process of assembling is done, the iPhone is passed in a sleek whiteboard box, where it is wrapped and put on a wooden pallet. And it is finally wheeled out to a waiting truck. After reading the section, you must have known Where are iphones made in an all inclusive manner.

How to Know What Country Your iPhone Come From? 

The is a subtle difference between the phones manufactured in two different countries. Since country-specific hardware is introduced, it is not a matter of much worrisome. Since all the iPhones are sold through Apple and its various official partners only after passing the quality test. Even quality retailers give you the warranty certificate, devoid of the fact of where it is manufactured. 

To find out where your iPhone is manufactured, follow the given steps to know: 

1. Go to settings.

2. Tap General

3. Tap About.

4. Note the first two letters before the Slash, next to Model.
5. Match these two letters with the manufacturing code given below.

The Design Stage: From Concept to Reality

Before iPhone is set to be manufactured, it goes through a brainstorming and rigorous designing process that involves hundreds of engineers and designers.  Apple’s design team is based in Cupertino, California, where they work on creating new and innovative designs for their products. The process of designing involves creating sketches and 3D models of products. These models are refined until the final design is chosen. 

Once the final design is chosen and finalized, it is sent to the manufacturing partners, who thereafter begin the process of turning this design from an idea into a reality. This process can take several months and involves creating the tools and machinery needed to manufacture the product.

Wrapping Up: 

The story of an iPhone model starts with an idea, then creating a sketch, sending the finalized design to the manufacturers, and then formally giving a final touch to the proposed model. It is an intricate and complex process that is finalized after the active involvement of many actors. So you must now have an understanding of where are iphones made without any doubt.

While Apple’s design team is based in California, the manufacturing process takes place primarily in China, with some production also taking place in India, Vietnam, and the United States. The manufacturing process involves several stages, including component manufacturing, assembly, testing, and packaging.

In short, it can be said that to accomplish an iPhone, there is a lot of brainstorming, and takes a lot of hard work as well. 

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