Oh, Apple, you absolute overachievers. While the rest of us are trying to remember where we put our AirPods case, Apple just went and turned U.S. manufacturing into a whole storyline.
Apple announced it’s increasing its U.S. investment commitment to $600 billion over the next four years, and it’s launching a new American Manufacturing Program to pull more of its supply chain and advanced manufacturing into the United States.
One of the wildest bits, Apple says every iPhone and Apple Watch will soon use cover glass produced in Kentucky, thanks to a major expansion with Corning. Yes, that glass, the stuff our screens owe their survival to after a questionable “no case” phase.
They’re also pushing hard on an end-to-end U.S. silicon supply chain with partners like TSMC, Texas Instruments, Samsung, GlobalFoundries, Amkor, Broadcom, and more. Translation, more of the magic chips and components that make your iPhone feel fast and your battery feel less like a ticking clock are getting deeper roots in the U.S.
My take, this is the kind of unsexy, behind-the-scenes Apple news that actually matters long-term. If Apple can tighten up the supply chain, build more at home, and keep scaling Apple Intelligence infrastructure, that could mean better availability, faster ramps, and maybe fewer “ships in 3 to 5 weeks” heartbreaks.
Also, I just love the idea that somewhere in Kentucky, the glass destined for a future iPhone is being made while someone says, “Yep, this is the part that’s going to meet the sidewalk.”