We asked you last week if you would be willing to pay more for your phone provided that it had the "made in America" stamp on the back, and the answer was a resounding "meh." Patriotism is good and all that, but not if it hits your own pocket, it seems, as 70% of our 3401 respondents think flagship phone are expensive enough as it is. Still, 19% don't mind paying up to $100, while 9% are ready to do whatever it takes to bring iPhone or Samsung factories on American soil.
President Trump rose to prominence on the wings of many promises during the election campaign period, and one of those was the "made in America" battle cry. It would result in manufacturer mandates to assemble their goods here, and bring paying employment back to the Rust Belt, compensating somewhat for the exodus of manufacturing jobs to China and other places over the last few decades. Well, there might not be mandates just yet, but some companies are being singled out as examples, and getting coerced into investing in US factories through an intriguing mix of tax incentives and plain old Twitter storms by the President himself.
Apple's Tim Cook was summoned not long ago to discuss making some of its gadgets here, and yesterday the President shouted a loud "Thanks you!" to Samsung for building an imaginary factory here in the US, which caused a bit of a confusion, as those plans are apparently neither finalized, nor approved just yet. In any case, if and when iPhones get assembled here, partially or in full, it would add up anywhere between $30-$100 to the basic $649 price of one, calculated MIT researchers, and the same probably goes for a high-end Galaxy. In fact, one popular Apple analyst already suggested that there should be a special "made in the USA" model for which Apple may charge between $100-$200 more, depending on the version.
Would you pay more for an iPhone or a Galaxy if they were 'made in America'?
Meh, no way
70.19%
If it's MIT's $30-$100 more estimate
18.97%
I'll pay up to $200 more
2.29%
I'll pay any price Apple or Samsung come up with for a "made in America" phone
Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.
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