Welcome to our weekend Apple Breakfast column, which covers all of the Apple news you’ve heard this week in one handy summary. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it’s great with a cup of coffee or tea, but if you want to read it at lunch or dinner too.
When the chips are down
When running for president in early 2016, Donald Trump promised to “force Apple to make their computers and the damn thing in this country instead of anywhere else.” This vague, half-formed plan was widely derided because it seemed impossible: You can’t just tear up a complex foreign supply chain and start from scratch in a territory with almost no skills or infrastructure. But at least in public, Apple gave the idea a polite reception.
Perhaps looking for patriotic cover against accusations of leftist bias — the world’s biggest company can’t alienate half of its domestic market — Apple is keen on the idea of building one. some hardware in the US Despite Trump’s comments, the company is already making one of its “damned computers” on US soil: the Mac Pro, which is proudly manufactured in a factory in Austin, Texas. But it is important to note that the Mac Pro is a niche product that is produced in small quantities, and therefore large orders can be made at home more easily than, for example, the iPhone.
This week’s announcement is limited in scope, with supplier TSMC (which is based in Taiwan) making Apple’s chips at a plant in Arizona. Again, we are not talking about the production of real Apple products, but only a component. But that’s what it is. TSMC makes the chips in iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple Watches, Apple TVs, and just about everything Apple sells, so the company can advertise that some of these devices are “(partly) made in America.”
Not yet, though. Because the first warning of this positive story is the deadline. The factory won’t open until 2024, which clearly excludes the initial launch of the iPhone 15, Apple Watch Series 9, and the next generation of Macs and iPads. TSMC and Apple were quick to get the news out there, but the implications of the move are still not the right way to go.
Even when the plant is running, it doesn’t make all the chips Apple uses; it just doesn’t have the ability. It also won’t be set up for the 3nm manufacturing process, which the company is expected to switch to in 2023. Working on 5nm or 4nm, the enterprise should focus, at least initially, on older chips that are not as critical. as the new A-series CPU. If you end up buying an iPhone 13 or 14 in 2024, you may find that the processor was made in Arizona, but that’s not the case with the iPhone 15 or 16. number of Apple Watches and Apple TV.
Ultimately, the problem with Apple’s “Made in America” plans is that the company doesn’t really have an incentive to bring manufacturing back home, and wouldn’t benefit from doing so in a practical sense. It makes sense to do most of the manufacturing in China, Vietnam, and India because labor is cheaper in these countries, labor laws are generally less favorable to workers, and existing factories are scaled to produce high-tech products. Apple didn’t set up a complex international supply chain for its entertainment; rather, each link in the chain is an optimal choice for legal, economic, talent or tax reasons. Shifting any part of that to the US would mean higher costs and lower profits, and potentially higher prices for consumers. What Apple really wants is good PR about creating jobs and making chips in the U.S. The Arizona plant has already made those headlines and should deliver jobs. But if people reading these stories think that the iPhone 15 is powered by a US-made chip, they are sadly mistaken.
Of course, the Arizona plant could be the start of a huge shift. It’s possible that financial incentives promised by successive administrations (including the CHIPS Act signed into law in August) will mean that Apple will move large parts of its supply chain back to the US, but that will happen if and when it benefits Apple, and not a moment ago.
IDG
Trending: Top stories of the week
In Mac is down Jason Snell reckons there were expectations, but it still eluded us in 2022.
Apple can they are really condemned if Tim Cook can’t solve the iPhone’s biggest problem.
We can see 5 reasons why you might want to update to iOS 16.2 at once
To beat Google in war of wordsApple needs to deploy its little secret weapon.
Apple has updated its pricing tiers, meaning that iOS apps can now cost as little as 29 cents or up to 10,000 dollars.
apple they used illegal tactics that the retail workers should leave the trade union, according to the National Board of Labor Relations.
The latest Apple Music feature is perfect for you holiday karaoke party.
A simple trick made Michael Simon’s Journey Go to your Mac browser once again.
Rumor tool
According to reports, Apple is working on a foldable screen, but it There will be no iPhone.
Too much waiting Apple Car project According to reports, only the ambition was reduced – and even delayed.
And while we are pessimists, Apple mixed reality headset maybe it came later than we thought.
Podcast of the week
In the latest episode of the Macworld Podcast, we explore some of them the most outstanding and inferior for Apple in 2022.
You can listen to every episode of the Macworld Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud, the Podcasts app, or our website.
Software updates, bugs and problems
brought by Apple end-to-end encryption to almost every iCloud service, including backups.
After a year in limbo, Apple has quietly killed off its controversial CSAM photo scanning feature.
Google Chrome now uses less battery and runs more smoothly on your Mac.
iOS 16.2, which was released to developers this week and may have been launched to the public by the time you read this, brings Apple Music sings and the Freeform program.
But why by Apple feature the latest music such high system requirements?
And release macOS Ventura 13.1 it seems
And with that, we’re done for this week. If you want to receive regular information, subscribe to our newsletter. You can also follow us on Twitter for breaking news. See you next Saturday, enjoy the rest of your weekend and stay Appley.
