Apple says it has no plans to become a mobile carrier

[Sauron]

I don't think we suffered a grat loss... mobile plans are overpriced already... besides what would they have to offer that hasn't already been? Although looking at the apple watch perhaps it doesn't matter. Either way laying down the infrastructure for a good coverage is a massive investment and it would take a long time.

[6God]

With as much money as Apple has, they could certainly use the threat of going somewhere else to get some changes made to those factories. When you run a factory, you don't let a customer equal in size (monetarily) to oil companies just up and leave.

 

You don't understand how expensive it is to run your own dedicated factory to make products. Apple did it with the Mac Pro, also their most expensive product, for a reason. Its probably the one product that can afford to handle increased North American production costs and not eat into their bottom line. Economies of scale as well, the Mac Pro does not sell tens of millions a quarter. It is okay to have a smaller production plant. 

 

iPhone? iPad? iMac? Galaxy? Nexus? LG? Sony? All these companies who sell millions upon millions of devices every quarter? They can't afford to gamble with their own factories (which would on their own cost billions even if they kept them offshore). Foxconn et al know their power and no one can change that because North American labour is hilariously expensive. How much more expensive? 

When its cheaper to build in China and have a fleet of ships and cargo planes deliver your products to the North Americans - thats when you know they're doing it to save shit loads of money. FFS, GM builds half their cars in Canada because even thats cheaper to build and ship back down than it is to build in America outright. FORD is building the bloody GT in Canada instead of the US! ITs all about saving money where you can and stretching how far your dollar goes. 

 

Companies like Foxconn have lower suicide rates than most American cities. So when you go about how hard life there is, perhaps bear into account just how effectively well run those places are. They are small cities, of course there will be more suicides at a Foxconn plant than your average backwoods Wal-Mart. 

[Trik'Stari]

There is nobody else to go to, and the companies know that

 

Apple have actually done a LOT of work to help these factories, and everyone just ignores that part

 

they even said ""The reality is that we find violations in every audit we have ever performed, no matter how sophisticated the company we're auditing. We find problems"

You don't understand how expensive it is to run your own dedicated factory to make products. Apple did it with the Mac Pro, also their most expensive product, for a reason. Its probably the one product that can afford to handle increased North American production costs and not eat into their bottom line. Economies of scale as well, the Mac Pro does not sell tens of millions a quarter. It is okay to have a smaller production plant. 

 

iPhone? iPad? iMac? Galaxy? Nexus? LG? Sony? All these companies who sell millions upon millions of devices every quarter? They can't afford to gamble with their own factories (which would on their own cost billions even if they kept them offshore). Foxconn et al know their power and no one can change that because North American labour is hilariously expensive. How much more expensive? 

When its cheaper to build in China and have a fleet of ships and cargo planes deliver your products to the North Americans - thats when you know they're doing it to save shit loads of money. FFS, GM builds half their cars in Canada because even thats cheaper to build and ship back down than it is to build in America outright. FORD is building the bloody GT in Canada instead of the US! ITs all about saving money where you can and stretching how far your dollar goes. 

 

Companies like Foxconn have lower suicide rates than most American cities. So when you go about how hard life there is, perhaps bear into account just how effectively well run those places are. They are small cities, of course there will be more suicides at a Foxconn plant than your average backwoods Wal-Mart. 

Something I would like both of you to think about:

 

Your arguments = "saving money > treating people in a humane fashion".

 

And as I admitted earlier, Apple isn't the only company with that mentality. It's a problem, and the sooner people start boycotting these socially irresponsible companies, the better. Apple could very well run their own factories, and yes it would cost them a lot, but it would be a PR win, and it would actually help them somewhat in the long run as they would be dumping money into one of their primary markets (employ people, those people have more money to spend, you make some of it back, etc)

[ShadowCaptain]

Your arguments = "saving money > treating people in a humane fashion".

 

Nope not what I am saying since Apple is not directly in control of the people that are making its devices,  the factory owners are the bastards in this situation

 

Apple cannot afford to stop making iPhones, they are a company with over a hundred thousand employees that use their pay to support their families, and their own lives, if Apple made a loss, it would effect the whole company, including the people that work for Apple who might get laid off or stores might lose money since they dont have stock , apple will shrink and have less money, etc etc and there is a knock on effect

 

its not as easy as going "right we wil just switch factories" there is nobody else to go to

 

And they cannot afford to open their own factories in the US, it would cost billions and billions and billions to do that

[cesrai]

1. Overpriced hardware (so no doubt that a phone plan from them would cost an arm and a leg)

2. Egregious human rights violations. (yeah they aren't the only company, but they are damned sure big enough to do something about it)

 

They don't need any more money, they're already shady enough.

1. It's not overpriced if you consider what they offer like OS, experience, longevity.

2. They are trying their best.

[Trik'Stari]

Nope not what I am saying since Apple is not directly in control of the people that are making its devices,  the factory owners are the bastards in this situation

 

Apple cannot afford to stop making iPhones, they are a company with over a hundred thousand employees that use their pay to support their families, and their own lives, if Apple made a loss, it would effect the whole company, including the people that work for Apple who might get laid off or stores might lose money since they dont have stock , apple will shrink and have less money, etc etc and there is a knock on effect

 

its not as easy as going "right we wil just switch factories" there is nobody else to go to

 

And they cannot afford to open their own factories in the US, it would cost billions and billions and billions to do that

Apple has $200 billion in the bank ("more cash on hand than any company currently in business"), they could open their own factories if they wanted to.

http://mashable.com/2015/07/21/apple-q3-earnings-2015/

[Nineshadow]

Nope not what I am saying since Apple is not directly in control of the people that are making its devices,  the factory owners are the bastards in this situation

 

Apple cannot afford to stop making iPhones, they are a company with over a hundred thousand employees that use their pay to support their families, and their own lives, if Apple made a loss, it would effect the whole company, including the people that work for Apple who might get laid off or stores might lose money since they dont have stock , apple will shrink and have less money, etc etc and there is a knock on effect

 

its not as easy as going "right we wil just switch factories" there is nobody else to go to

 

And they cannot afford to open their own factories in the US, it would cost billions and billions and billions to do that

They could do anything honestly.

They won't because it wouldn't bring them any profit.

[ShadowCaptain]

Apple has $200 billion in the bank ("more cash on hand than any company currently in business"), they could open their own factories if they wanted to.

http://mashable.com/2015/07/21/apple-q3-earnings-2015/

 

http://www.asymco.com/2011/10/16/how-much-do-apples-factories-cost/

 

it costs more than you would think, especially if you were paying US wages

 

I mean for example Foxconn have over 1 million employees, apple only have 100k, imagine paying another 900k people $30k a year? and opening up like 5x  $10 billion  factories? 

 

its not economically viable

 

 

They could do anything honestly.

They won't because it wouldn't bring them any profit.

 

 

Pretty much yeah, it will only make them lose money, and it would be very difficult to set up, instead of just paying existing places to do it cheaper who already have the factories, workers and land

[The Pizza Thief]

 

When its cheaper to build in China and have a fleet of ships and cargo planes deliver your products to the North Americans - thats when you know they're doing it to save shit loads of money. FFS, GM builds half their cars in Canada because even thats cheaper to build and ship back down than it is to build in America outright. FORD is building the bloody GT in Canada instead of the US! ITs all about saving money where you can and stretching how far your dollar goes. 

 

In addition to that, I think that most of the cars that drive today in the US are made in Mexico, companies like Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, Nissan, Chrysler all have massive factories in Mexico. I've been to the ones in Guanajuato and they are damn huge. 

 

 

http://www.asymco.com/2011/10/16/how-much-do-apples-factories-cost/

 

it costs more than you would think, especially if you were paying US wages

 

I mean for example Foxconn have over 1 million employees, apple only have 100k, imagine paying another 900k people $30k a year? and opening up like 5x  $10 billion  factories? 

 

its not economically viable

 

 

 

 

Pretty much yeah, it will only make them lose money, and it would be very difficult to set up, instead of just paying existing places to do it cheaper who already have the factories, workers and land

 

 

I agree, they can't just cut all ties with their manufacturers and start building their own manufacturing plants, it is not profitable, even for Apple.