iPhone for $3,黑帽SEO快排节点500: What happens if Trump forces Apple to assemble smartphones in the U.S.

April 10, 2025  20:41

Donald Trump’s push to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. could deliver a shock to Apple fans: the price of an iPhone might skyrocket to $3,500. CNN reports this based on expert estimates, highlighting that moving production from China to America could create jobs but also headaches for consumers and Apple itself.

Why Would the iPhone Triple in Price?

Today, a base model iPhone (like the iPhone 16) retails for around $1,000. But if Apple shifts production to the U.S., that could triple. Dan Ives, head of tech research at Wedbush Securities, breaks it down: the culprit is the intricate supply chain built in Asia over decades. In China, millions work at factories like Foxconn, supported by hundreds of regional component suppliers. Replicating this in the U.S. would be like starting an industry from scratch.

Ives estimates that relocating just 10% of production would cost Apple $30 billion and take three years. New factories—say, in West Virginia or New Jersey—would demand not only cash but also worker training, infrastructure, and logistics overhauls. Those costs would hit the product’s price tag, making a $3,500 iPhone a real possibility.

Trump Promises Jobs, But There’s a Catch

Trump’s administration argues that steep import tariffs on China will bring millions of manufacturing jobs back to U.S. soil. The logic is straightforward: force companies like Apple to build locally. Yet Ives calls this “unrealistic.” Even if production moves, automation would limit job creation—robots, not humans, would assemble most iPhones. Meanwhile, consumers would face a price tag that’s tough to swallow.

Apple’s tried this before. In 2025, it assembled Mac Pros in Texas, but the effort stalled due to high costs and supply chain snags. Moving iPhone production is a far bigger beast. Bloomberg notes that 90% of smartphone components—displays, chips, batteries—come from Asia. Rewiring that network would cost billions and risk quality dips.

What Does It Mean for Buyers?

If Ives’ prediction holds, the iPhone could become a luxury item. At $3,500, you could snag a laptop, a fridge, and still have cash for coffee. Consumer reaction is the wild card. In the U.S., iPhone sales are already slipping—Counterpoint Research shows Apple’s smartphone market share dropped 2% in 2025 amid Android competition. Tripling the price might alienate even diehard fans.

Apple’s hedging its bets. It’s ramping up assembly in India and Vietnam, where labor is pricier than China but cheaper than the U.S. By 2026, up to 20% of iPhones could come from India, though that won’t fully dodge Trump’s tariffs.

Is There a Way Out?

Experts suggest a middle ground: partial localization. For instance, assembling casings in the U.S. while sourcing chips from Asia could trim costs, hiking iPhone prices by $200–300 instead of $2,500. Apple’s stayed mum on specifics, though CEO Tim Cook has hinted in the past that a full U.S. shift is “economically unfeasible.”

The Bottom Line

Trump’s vision of bringing iPhone production home sounds patriotic but stings the wallet. A $3,500 price tag (about 301,500 rubles) would make the smartphone out of reach for millions, eroding Apple’s edge. Spending $30 billion and three years to relocate isn’t a solution—it’s a gamble. As tariffs loom, Apple’s scouting workarounds, but one thing’s clear: cheap iPhones aren’t in the near future.