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.
“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 Apple CEO Tim Prepare dinner in an announcement Wednesday. “Due to the ability of American manufacturing, any buyer anyplace on the planet who buys a brand new iPhone or Apple Watch will likely be holding precision glass made proper right here 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 no less than intensified) by the specter 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 practically all manufacturing of U.S.-bound iPhones from China to India, will deliver no less than a portion of Apple’s large iPhone and Apple Watch manufacturing provide chains again to america. Nonetheless, the concept of a wholly made-in-America iPhone stays the stuff of fantasies, no less than within the close to time period.
Corning will construct ‘world’s largest and most superior smartphone glass manufacturing line’
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 complete facility to manufacturing for Apple, which can assist enhance Corning’s manufacturing and engineering workforce in Kentucky by 50 %. The 2 firms can even open a brand new Apple-Corning Innovation Heart on the Harrodsburg plant. The Innovation Heart will play a key position within the growth and engineering of superior supplies and next-generation manufacturing platforms for Apple’s future generations of merchandise.
“Apple is an incredible accomplice 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 one hundred pc of Apple’s cowl glass wants for iPhone and Apple Watch to the unique house of the innovation.”
Through the years, Apple invested nearly $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 generally known as Ceramic Protect — which Apple calls “the hardest in any smartphone” — that’s utilized in present iPhones.
Apple’s American Manufacturing Program pushes U.S. manufacturing
Apple mentioned the Corning deal is a part of its “American Manufacturing Program (AMP), which can make investments throughout America and incentivize international firms 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 assist 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 means, Corning additionally performs a key position in Apple’s provide chain for producing superior silicon chips in America.”
