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OT: Made in the USA

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Theconnormead

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I don’t want to make this political, but I just read an article on CNBC about the potential for iPhones to be manufactured in the U.S. According to the article, producing them domestically could increase the cost by up to 25%.

That raises an interesting question: Would you be willing to pay 25% more for your iPhone if it were made in the United States?
 
mcdawg22

mcdawg22

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Theconnormead said:
I don’t want to make this political, but I just read an article on CNBC about the potential for iPhones to be manufactured in the U.S. According to the article, producing them domestically could increase the cost by up to 25%.

That raises an interesting question: Would you be willing to pay 25% more for your iPhone if it were made in the United States?
Click to expand...
I don’t see how that is feasible. If the current employers are making 3.00 and hour and a US worker would make at least 20.00. The math ain’t mathing. Would you be willing to pay 30% more for a cheeseburger to raise minimum wage?
 
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Maroon Eagle

Maroon Eagle

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Theconnormead said:
I don’t want to make this political, but I just read an article on CNBC about the potential for iPhones to be manufactured in the U.S. According to the article, producing them domestically could increase the cost by up to 25%.

That raises an interesting question: Would you be willing to pay 25% more for your iPhone if it were made in the United States?
Click to expand...

That depends: How much are you willing to pay for the iPhone 17?

mcdawg22 said:
I don’t see how that is feasible. If the current employers are making 3.00 and hour and a US worker would make at least 20.00. The math ain’t mathing. Would you be willing to pay 30% more for a cheeseburger to raise minimum wage?
Click to expand...

How close is Apple to almost-fully automated plants?
 
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dorndawg

dorndawg

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It's an interesting question. I try to buy made in USA when I can; often there simply isn't an option. Usually something made in USA will be of a higher quality; I'm not sure how that could/would be the case with an iphone?

Let's say we all do want all our phones and toasters and toilet brushes made here. Who exactly is going to work at these new factories? Unemployment is currently at a low 4% and, ahem, we're not exactly immigrant-oriented as a country these days.
 
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jethreauxdawg

jethreauxdawg

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mcdawg22 said:
I don’t see how that is feasible. If the current employers are making 3.00 and hour and a US worker would make at least 20.00. The math ain’t mathing. Would you be willing to pay 30% more for a cheeseburger to raise minimum wage?
Click to expand...
The math will depend on how much of the cost is labor. And can adult at $20/he do more than an 11 year old at $3/hr?
 
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GloryDawg

GloryDawg

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Apple is selling 50 to 62 percent more than it cost to manufacture them. I would imagine there are other cost added into it but I don't blame them for making all the profit they can. My probably is it is making China rich, and China uses force child labor.
 
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MSTerritoryDog

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mcdawg22 said:
I don’t see how that is feasible. If the current employers are making 3.00 and hour and a US worker would make at least 20.00. The math ain’t mathing. Would you be willing to pay 30% more for a cheeseburger to raise minimum wage?
Click to expand...
Not sure about the math either. You’d get around tariffs, shipping costs, and intellectual property hurdles. I agree that I’m not sure how the math works.

As for minimum wage, is that number effecting anything right now? I’m seeing $15/hr starting wages advertised for entry level work at Taco Bell. I’m guessing the min wage could go to $12/hr and very few would be affected.
 
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dawgoneyall

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Theconnormead said:
I don’t want to make this political, but I just read an article on CNBC about the potential for iPhones to be manufactured in the U.S. According to the article, producing them domestically could increase the cost by up to 25%.

That raises an interesting question: Would you be willing to pay 25% more for your iPhone if it were made in the United States?
Click to expand...
17 China
 
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mcdawg22

mcdawg22

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GoToHellOleMiss.sixpack said:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">What&#39;s the actual effect of tariffs on the cost of an iPhone made in China? <br>Must Watch 👇 <a href="https://t.co/wZLAKVQYM9">pic.twitter.com/wZLAKVQYM9</a></p>&mdash; Vince Langman (@LangmanVince) <a href="">April 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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This is the most ludicrous thing I have ever seen. Random lesbian says iPhones cost $10 to make so it must be true. Palladium itself is $900 an ounce.
 
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GloryDawg

GloryDawg

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All I know is we as a Nation needs to decouple from China. Vietfuckingnam is fixing to get rich. They are going to get the first trade deal. Probably today with China upping the tariffs last night. If some of you would get past you Trump hate and study how he negotiates you would know the first deal is always the best and you do not want to be the last to make the deal. China will lose, China is ****** and Xi will be sent packing.
 
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Maroon Eagle

Maroon Eagle

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Drebin said:
Unfortunately most people aren't aware of what they're paying for these phones anyway. It all gets rolled up in the monthly cost now.
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Disagree.

It’s been my experience that folks know how much they cost which is why they keep their older phones running as long as they can….
 
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The Cooterpoot

The Cooterpoot

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Will our pay rate increase by the about 30% it needs to, to afford life these days? Nope and that would run up the cost even more. Damn you capitalism!**
I think all this is going to create a pull back anyway and the middle class gets killed again. Hell, the government is still giving away free phones to the poor.
 
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Theconnormead

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GloryDawg said:
All I know is we as a Nation needs to decouple from China. Vietfuckingnam is fixing to get rich. They are going to get the first trade deal. Probably today with China upping the tariffs last night. If some of you would get past you Trump hate and study how he negotiates you would know the first deal is always the best and you do not want to be the last to make the deal. China will lose, China is ****** and Xi will be sent packing.
Click to expand...
I agree that we need to reduce our dependence on China, but the question is: how much pain are Americans willing to endure to make that happen?
 
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mcdawg22

mcdawg22

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I said this when Biden was in office I’ll say it with Trump in office and whoever the next president is. The government cannot dictate spending. Consumerism wags the dog. I have neighbors that are f China this f China that and you walk in there house and they have a giant TCL TV. People for the most part will do what is cheap and convenient and that will normally override their convictions.
 
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mcdawg22

mcdawg22

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Theconnormead said:
I agree that we need to reduce our dependence on China, but the question is: how much pain are Americans willing to endure to make that happen?
Click to expand...
Joe Biden GIF by GIPHY News

We are a lazy well fed pig at this point.
 
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paindonthurtDCD2

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Apr 7, 2025
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Theconnormead said:
I don’t want to make this political, but I just read an article on CNBC about the potential for iPhones to be manufactured in the U.S. According to the article, producing them domestically could increase the cost by up to 25%.

That raises an interesting question: Would you be willing to pay 25% more for your iPhone if it were made in the United States?
Click to expand...
I'm a free trade guy. I'd rather competition, but we need to eliminate china from the equation as much as possible. Doesn't have to be totally but they need to be checked.

They are an enemy
They steal intelectual property
Covid 19
Drywall
Toys with lead based paint
 
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paindonthurtDCD2

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YesIAmAPirate said:
I still don't understand the phone pricing. I can go to Walmart and get a 75" smart tv for $500 but a new phone cost $1,000
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I don't understand this either. Automation can drive down prices but i don't see how the assembly/automation from the tv to the iphone can be that much different.

Maybe size affects it a lot.
 
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Podgy

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GloryDawg said:
All I know is we as a Nation needs to decouple from China. Vietfuckingnam is fixing to get rich. They are going to get the first trade deal. Probably today with China upping the tariffs last night. If some of you would get past you Trump hate and study how he negotiates you would know the first deal is always the best and you do not want to be the last to make the deal. China will lose, China is ****** and Xi will be sent packing.
Click to expand...
There's reflexive anti-Trump hate, and often for good reason, and equal amounts of pro-Trump sentiment that says Art of the Deal for even dumb ideas he has. I'm no fan of either. I don't think making Americans poorer somehow benefits China, a country I'd like to rely on less. I don't believe that simply buying an American made product benefits America and harms China. Far too many Americans are addicted to simple slogans and confirmation bias. We're the richest country in the world and Americans are the richest people. Middle class Americans have so much more purchasing power than middle class Europeans and Asians.
 
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mcdawg22

mcdawg22

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paindonthurtDCD2 said:
I'm a free trade guy. I'd rather competition, but we need to eliminate china from the equation as much as possible. Doesn't have to be totally but they need to be checked.

They are an enemy
They steal intelectual property
Covid 19
Drywall
Toys with lead based paint
Click to expand...
Drywall? Genuinely curious
 
aTotal360

aTotal360

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If Apple (with cash stacked to the ceiling) cannot reduce their margins or figure out how to manufacturer domestically to remain competitive with potential tariffs...then 17em. And I say that as someone who has only had iPhones since BlackBerry became irrelevant.
 
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GloryDawg

GloryDawg

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Podgy said:
There's reflexive anti-Trump hate, and often for good reason, and equal amounts of pro-Trump sentiment that says Art of the Deal for even dumb ideas he has. I'm no fan of either. I don't think making Americans poorer somehow benefits China, a country I'd like to rely on less. I don't believe that simply buying an American made product benefits America and harms China. Far too many Americans are addicted to simple slogans and confirmation bias. We're the richest country in the world and Americans are the richest people. Middle class Americans have so much more purchasing power than middle class Europeans and Asians.
Click to expand...
That's why we will win the trade war with China; However, China is a bad nation that uses slave and child labor and us enriching them is helping them build their military which they will not use for good.
 
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paindonthurtDCD2

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GloryDawg said:
Apple is selling 50 to 62 percent more than it cost to manufacture them. I would imagine there are other cost added into it but I don't blame them for making all the profit they can. My probably is it is making China rich, and China uses force child labor.
Click to expand...
50 to 62 percent gross margin isn't just ripping people off. You are right. There are lots of other costs added to that.

After typing that i looked up their financial statements. For the past 4 years they have averaged about 30.6% Ebita as a percent of sales. Thats pretty damn high.

All for free markets but id like to think barriers to entry might be high. Or maybe they are just that good at what they do compared to everyone else.
 
mcdawg22

mcdawg22

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My wife and I were talking about this the other day. In 1990 a family had a $30 bellsouth phone that lasted 20 years and paid $30 a month for phone service unless a kid 17’d up and called a 900 number. Now you either have $1000 iPhones each or you pay for a cell service at $200 a month.
 
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bsquared24

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Apple specifically has built a model where they addict the purchaser to their product, then make that product obsolete within 3-5 years, ensuring a purchase from the addicted. If you think I'm crazy, try to use a 5-year-old iPad. It still works fine, but none of the apps are supported,, so unless you are willing to forgo apps and watch Hulu/ESPN/etc using the web browser they have essentially bricked it through software. It is very similar to the phone (plus, my phone mysteriously only charges to 60% after 3 years of use). If we can break the software obsoletion there are plenty of usable phones, no "new" feature in the last 10 years is "needed" for a phone.

Why everyone in my family (including me) uses an iphone I have no idea ...
 
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