Apple pledged Wednesday to make 100% of the glass screens on all iPhones and Apple Watches in america for the primary time. The corporate dedicated $2.5 billion as a part of its increasing partnership with Corning, which can produce the iPhone and Apple Watch cowl glass at its plant in Harrodsburg, Kentucky.
“We’ve labored with our companions at Corning to construct the world’s largest and most superior smartphone glass manufacturing line,” Apple CEO Tim Cook dinner mentioned throughout a White Home briefing Wednesday afternoon, throughout which he dedicated an further $100 billion funding in American manufacturing. “I’m happy to announce that very quickly — that is for the primary time ever — each single new iPhone and each single new Apple Watch offered wherever on the earth will include cowl glass made in Kentucky.”
Apple to make 100% of iPhone and Apple Watch Screens in U.S.
The $2.5 billion increase for Corning is a part of Apple’s $600 billion funding in U.S. manufacturing, spurred (or at the very least intensified) by the menace of tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. Apple continues to finesse its large worldwide provide chains to attenuate the consequences of regularly shifting tariffs.
The strikes, which beforehand included shifting almost all manufacturing of U.S.-bound iPhones from China to India, will carry at the very least a portion of Apple’s large iPhone and Apple Watch manufacturing provide chains again to america. Nonetheless, the concept of an completely made-in-America iPhone stays the stuff of fantasies, at the very least within the close to time period.
“Corning is a storied American firm, and we’re thrilled to work collectively to construct the biggest and most superior manufacturing line ever created for smartphone glass,” mentioned Cook dinner in a press release Wednesday. “Due to the facility of American manufacturing, any buyer wherever on the earth who buys a brand new iPhone or Apple Watch can be holding precision glass made proper right here in Kentucky.”
Corning will construct ‘world’s largest and most superior smartphone glass manufacturing line’
Photograph: Apple
Apple defined the significance of the $2.5 billion funding like this:
Corning is creating the world’s largest and most superior smartphone glass manufacturing line on the Harrodsburg facility. Corning will now dedicate this whole facility to manufacturing for Apple, which can assist enhance Corning’s manufacturing and engineering workforce in Kentucky by 50 p.c. The 2 corporations can even open a brand new Apple-Corning Innovation Middle on the Harrodsburg plant. The Innovation Middle will play a key position within the improvement and engineering of superior supplies and next-generation manufacturing platforms for Apple’s future generations of merchandise.
“Apple is an incredible associate for American producers like us, and collectively, we’ve innovated and pushed the boundaries of what’s potential,” mentioned Corning CEO Wendell Weeks in the identical press launch. “We developed and made the glass for the very first iPhone in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, 18 years in the past. With this new multibillion-dollar dedication from Apple and the lighting of our most superior manufacturing platform, we’re hiring extra individuals and bringing 100% of Apple’s cowl glass wants for iPhone and Apple Watch to the unique house of the innovation.”
Over time, Apple invested virtually $500 million in Corning’s Kentucky manufacturing operations, “with billions extra spent on glass manufactured within the U.S.,” Apple mentioned.
Corning makes the damage-resistant cowl glass often known as Ceramic Defend — which Apple calls “the hardest in any smartphone” — that’s utilized in present iPhones.
Cult of Mac requested Apple what the earlier share of iPhone/Apple Watch cowl glass made in america was, in addition to what corporations produced it and the place. We are going to replace this text when Apple responds.
Apple’s American Manufacturing Program pushes U.S. manufacturing
Photograph: Apple
Apple mentioned the Corning deal is a part of its “American Manufacturing Program (AMP), which can make investments throughout America and incentivize world corporations to onshore manufacturing and manufacture much more of Apple’s vital parts in america.”
“We’re grateful to the President and his administration for his or her help for American manufacturing, and we’re excited for the innovation this funding will unlock,” Apple mentioned within the press launch.
Corning additionally gives uncooked supplies utilized by GlobalWafers, one other firm that’s a part of Apple’s American Manufacturing Program. GlobalWafers “will use silicon from Corning to fabricate superior naked wafers within the U.S. for the primary time,” Apple mentioned. “In that manner, Corning additionally performs a key position in Apple’s provide chain for producing superior silicon chips in America.”