Apple just committed $2.5B to make your iPhone cover glass right here in the US
Corning’s Kentucky facility will now handle all cover glass production for iPhones and Apple Watches.
Apple just had a pretty big moment that is sure to make the Trump administration smile. Not only did Tim Cook personally hand President Trump a special gift to mark the company’s upcoming US-focused efforts, but Apple also announced it is doubling down on American manufacturing in a major way.
A big part of this push is an expanded partnership with Corning – the same company that makes the glass used in pretty much every iPhone and flagship Galaxy phone out there.
Apple and Corning are taking things to the next level with a $2.5 billion investment that will go directly into Corning’s Harrodsburg, Kentucky facility. That plant will now be fully dedicated to producing all the cover glass for iPhones and Apple Watches – yes, 100% of it. For the first time ever, all cover glass on these devices sold globally will be made in the US.
However, it is still unclear if that will apply to the upcoming iPhone 17 and Apple Watch 11 series. And honestly, probably not – those are expected to launch in just about a month. Most likely, the iPhone 18 will be the first one to officially carry the “Made in America” glass label.
Corning is not just stepping up production, it is building out the world’s biggest and most advanced smartphone glass manufacturing line right in Kentucky. The move is expected to grow Corning’s local workforce by 50%, and the two companies are also opening a new Apple-Corning Innovation Center at the same site.
This new R&D hub will focus on developing advanced materials and next-gen manufacturing platforms for future Apple devices.
This expansion is part of Apple’s wider plan to pour more than $600 billion into the US economy over the next four years. That includes the newly announced American Manufacturing Program (AMP), which aims to drive investment across the country and get more global companies to build Apple’s key components right here in the States.
Now, while all this sounds great, it definitely raises some eyebrows. Hasn’t Apple been saying for years that the iPhone’s cover glass is made in the US? As Apple insider Mark Gurman pointed out, it technically was – but now we’re finding out, publicly, that it wasn’t fully true. Only now will 100% of the iPhone glass actually be made in the US.
This latest move builds on a partnership that has been going strong since the very first iPhone in 2007. Since launching its US Advanced Manufacturing Fund in 2017, Apple has invested nearly $500 million in Corning’s Kentucky operations. And when you add in all the glass Apple’s sourced from the US, we’re talking billions more.
So yeah, there is definitely a PR win here, but also some real movement in making more of Apple’s supply chain truly American. And that last part is especially important if Apple wants to avoid Trump’s tariffs.
A big part of this push is an expanded partnership with Corning – the same company that makes the glass used in pretty much every iPhone and flagship Galaxy phone out there.
However, it is still unclear if that will apply to the upcoming iPhone 17 and Apple Watch 11 series. And honestly, probably not – those are expected to launch in just about a month. Most likely, the iPhone 18 will be the first one to officially carry the “Made in America” glass label.
Inside Corning’s facility where the iPhone cover glass is made. | Image credit – Apple
This expansion is part of Apple’s wider plan to pour more than $600 billion into the US economy over the next four years. That includes the newly announced American Manufacturing Program (AMP), which aims to drive investment across the country and get more global companies to build Apple’s key components right here in the States.
Corning is a storied American company, and we’re thrilled to work together to build the largest and most advanced production line ever created for smartphone glass. Thanks to the power of American manufacturing, any customer anywhere in the world who buys a new iPhone or Apple Watch will be holding precision glass made right here in Kentucky. We’re grateful to the President and his administration for their support for American manufacturing, and we’re excited for the innovation this investment will unlock.
– Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, August 6, 2025
Critically: Tim Cook has been touting for years that the iPhone’s cover glass is made in the US. Today we learn — publicly — that this wasn’t entirely true and only now 100% of iPhone glass will made in the US. Before it was a mix. The Apple Watch is new though.
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) August 6, 2025
Still, there is no denying this is a major step in meeting Trump’s push for more US-based manufacturing.
Apple is an amazing partner for American manufacturers like us, and together, we’ve innovated and pushed the boundaries of what’s possible. We developed and made the glass for the very first iPhone in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, 18 years ago. With this new multibillion-dollar commitment from Apple and the lighting of our most advanced manufacturing platform, we are hiring more people and bringing 100 percent of Apple’s cover glass needs for iPhone and Apple Watch to the original home of the innovation.
– Wendell Weeks, Corning’s CEO, August 6, 2025
Corning’s reach goes beyond just screens, too. It supplies raw materials to GlobalWafers, another company under Apple’s AMP umbrella. GlobalWafers will use Corning’s silicon to start producing advanced bare wafers for chips right here in the US – a first.
So yeah, there is definitely a PR win here, but also some real movement in making more of Apple’s supply chain truly American. And that last part is especially important if Apple wants to avoid Trump’s tariffs.
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