Apple CEO Tim Cook: 'It's Not True That the iPhone is Not Made in the United States'

"It's not true that the iPhone is not made in the United States," Apple CEO Tim Cook said this morning in an interview with Recode's Kara Swisher and MSNBC's Chris Hayes in a response to criticism about its ties to China and other countries.

"We have always made the parts here," Cook said. "People just look at where the final product is assembled." In a global world, he explained, manufacturing and assembly needs to be done in a variety of places.

timcookinterviewrecode

Image via Recode

As Cook has said multiple times in the past, key iPhone components are manufactured in the United States. Display glass for the iPhone and iPad, made by U.S. manufacturer Corning, comes from Kentucky. The Face ID module for the iPhone X comes from Texas. Various chips for Apple devices are also built in the United States, according to Cook, as is equipment for manufacturing the iPhone.

Components manufactured in the U.S. are shipped abroad, with devices assembled by suppliers like Foxconn and Pegatron in China.

Cook said "political pressure" doesn't push Apple to add U.S. jobs, as it's something the company is already doing. As Cook often says, Apple could "only have been created in the United States," and Apple wants to give back. "Businesses should be more than just building revenues and profits," Cook said. "They should be building people."

"We know that Apple could only have been created in the United States. We know that. This company would not have flourished in any other country in the world. We love this country. We are patriots. This is our country and we want to create as many jobs as we can in the U.S. We don't need any political pressure for that."

Apple in January outlined a five-year plan to contribute $350 billion to the U.S. economy through job creation, existing investments and manufacturing, and new investments. Apple has established an Advanced Manufacturing Fund, for example, to invest in U.S. manufacturing. Apple has thus far invested $200 million in Corning and $390 million in Finisar.

On the topic of job creation and automation, Cook said that it's important to "get comfortable" with "the notion that education is lifelong." Jobs, he says, will be "cannibalized over time and replaced by others." Continuously learning is important, which is why Apple puts such a focus on teaching students of all ages to code. "The jobs of tomorrow are heavily software based," he said.

"There's an element of what each of us do, which will be automated over time. That's not bad. But we need to think about training for the jobs for tomorrow, which will be software-based."

He said he does not believe the narrative around "doom and gloom" is correct, but he does believe government and businesses need to work together on job retraining and creation for industries that are being automated. "We should not all sit around waiting for government to tell us what to do," he said.

Tim Cook's full interview will air on MSNBC on Friday, April 6 at 5:00 p.m. in a segment titled "Revolution: Apple Changing the World."

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Popular Stories

Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Event in October? Here's What to Expect

Monday September 29, 2025 9:31 am PDT by
Apple's annual iPhone event is in the rearview mirror, but rumors suggest the company plans to release a handful of additional products before the year ends. Will there be another Apple event this October? We discuss the possibility below. Apple in October Apple's most recent October events were in 2021 and 2023. In 2022 and 2024, Apple did not host an October event. Instead, it...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro teal 1

Apple's iPhone Driver's License Feature Now Available in 11 U.S. States

Tuesday September 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Apple recently revealed that the feature would soon be available in North Dakota, and starting today, the feature has officially gone...
space black mbp

Here's Every New Apple Product That Leaked Yesterday

Wednesday October 1, 2025 8:27 am PDT by
A handful of upcoming Apple products leaked yesterday, through a combination of YouTube videos out of Russia and U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) documents that were released, despite Apple's confidentiality requests. The leaked products include an iPad Pro with an M5 chip, as well as updated MacBook Pro and Apple Vision Pro models. All of these devices had already been rumored...
maxresdefault

New iPad Pro With M5 Chip Leaked in Unboxing Video

Tuesday September 30, 2025 8:39 am PDT by
An apparent unboxing video for an unannounced iPad Pro with the M5 chip was uploaded to YouTube today by Russian channel Wylsacom. The same YouTube account leaked the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip before it was announced by Apple last year, so this is likely a legitimate leak. Based on the box shown in the video, this appears to be a 13-inch iPad Pro with an M5 chip, 256GB of...
fcc vision pro leak

FCC Accidentally Leaks Apple's Next Vision Pro

Tuesday September 30, 2025 3:48 pm PDT by
The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has seemingly confirmed Apple's work on an updated version of the Vision Pro headset. One of several documents the FCC shared today references an Apple-designed "Head Mounted Device" with a model number of A3416. An included image confirms the device is a Vision Pro. The FCC's uploads are transmission tests, SAR test reports, and...
iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Wednesday October 1, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, and Safari. More features and changes will follow in future versions,...
macbook pro prime day 2025

FCC Leaks Upcoming MacBook Pro and More

Tuesday September 30, 2025 1:58 pm PDT by
The United States Federal Communications Commission has confirmed Apple's work on a new version of the MacBook Pro and several other products, leaking details on the devices ahead of launch. The FCC published documents that reference model numbers that do not correspond with existing devices. A3434, for example, references an unreleased MacBook Pro, while other numbers are likely for...
iPhone 17 vs Air and Pros Feature

New iPhones See 'Stronger Than Expected' Demand With One Exception

Thursday October 2, 2025 7:26 am PDT by
Nearly two weeks after the iPhone 17 series launched, analysts at investment banking firm Morgan Stanley said demand for the devices has been "modestly stronger than we originally expected," based on a combination of extended shipping estimates on Apple's online store and information it gathered from Apple's supply chain. There has been strong early demand for the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro,...
Apple 2025 Thumb 1

Apple's 2025 Product Roadmap: What's Still Coming

Wednesday October 1, 2025 3:56 pm PDT by
Apple's two big yearly events, WWDC and the iPhone launch, are done and over with, but there are still some new products that we're expecting to see before the end of the year. Apple TV The Apple TV hasn't been updated since 2022, so it's due for a refresh. It doesn't look like Apple is going to change the design of its set-top box, but we can expect a faster chip Apple code suggests...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.0.1 With Fixes for Wi-Fi, Cellular, and Camera Issues on iPhone 17 Models

Monday September 29, 2025 10:12 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 26.0.1 and iPadOS 26.0.1, the first updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out earlier this week. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes for the update, iOS 26.0.1 addresses a bug that could cause aberrations in...

Top Rated Comments

Glideslope Avatar
98 months ago
2018 Hypocrite of the Year just given to Timmy. Obviously lobbying for China. He is scared to death. Too bad. :apple:
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
asdavis10 Avatar
98 months ago
He does have a point. The assembly is what people focus the most on. But when you look at the scale and economics of manufacturing in emerging markets, you simply can't avoid them and still have your products sell at reasonable prices.

If countries start creating protectionist policies to force companies to manufacture locally, then you'll just see that increased cost passed on to the consumer. But the company won't absorb those higher costs.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
555gallardo Avatar
98 months ago
Sooo.... apparently, Apple is about to announce acquisition of China and claims it'll be a part of States?
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I7guy Avatar
98 months ago
The more Tim gets into the public eye, the more I like his style and way of thinking and how Apple is now being managed.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
itsmilo Avatar
98 months ago
American patriotism is always mind boggling to me
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheRealTVGuy Avatar
98 months ago
He does have a point. The assembly is what people focus the most on. But when you look at the scale and economics of manufacturing in emerging markets, you simply can't avoid them and still have your products sell at reasonable prices.

If countries start creating protectionist policies to force companies to manufacture locally, then you'll just see that increased cost passed on to the consumer. But the company won't absorb those higher costs.
But that begs the question... Isn't that what an item should cost? Like the avocado debacle a few months ago; if the real price of an "All-American avocado" grown and picked by someone who makes $15.00/hr is 10 bucks, then maybe that's just what it should have been all along.

Face it folks, you can't demand companies to make things completely in the U.S., pay their workers a minimum of $15.00/hr, have the government provide everyone with complete healthcare, and then pay $150 for an iPhone or $50 for a new TV. You have to pick your poison.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)