Following the Manufacturing Process of an iPhone

The mere mention of Apple can easily generate a buzz as this tech giant is known to produce high-quality gadgets from smartphones to Macbooks and everything in between. Their products are also considered as among the most expensive gadgets in the market which is not surprising given that you are guaranteed to get good value for your money. But not everyone can easily dish out more than £1,000 for the newest iPhone. This is where getting a refurbished iPhone comes in.

However, before we go into how refurbished Apple phones are made, let’s find out more about the journey of iPhones from start to finish.

If you are familiar with Apple products, you probably know that the design concepts for these gadgets were done in California. However, when you ask where they are manufactured, the answer will be quite different from what you have expected. There are two concepts that you need to keep in mind when it comes to the making of the iPhone and these are the assembled and manufactured.

Understanding the Concepts of Assembled and Manufactured

Manufacturing is the term used when it comes to producing the components that are needed to build an iPhone. Yes, Apple itself is the one that designs everything in their iPhones, but they are not the ones that manufacture them. What the company does is outsource these components from across the globe. The tech giant chooses manufacturers that specialize in specific parts such as:

• Accelerometers from Germany.
• Gyroscope from Switzerland.
• LCD screen, camera, and compass from Japan.
• Wi-Fi Ship, glass screen, and audio chips from USA manufacturers.

But what about assembling? This is the term used when it comes to putting together all the manufactured parts to create the device which is the popular iPhone. The assemblers of Apple products are placed on the hands of Pegatron as well as Foxconn which are both based in Taiwan. However, Foxconn does all the assembling of iPhones in Shenzen which is in China.

Where Do iPhone Raw Materials Come From?

Raw materials are used in the iPhone manufacturing process which is something that not many of us are completely aware of. Just to give you an idea where these raw materials and how they are used are, take a look below.

• Mongolia. At least 99% of the rare minerals used in the construction of the iPhone are mined in Mongolia. Minerals such as scandium, lanthanides, and yttrium are just a few examples that were used in making this handheld device bright, light, and even loud.
• Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. Manufacturers in these countries are also contributing to the manufacturing of the iPhone. For example, Japan is the go-to country by Apple for its LCD display and the engineers of both Japan as well as Korea are responsible for the all-too-familiar smooth feeling of swiping, zooming in and out on your device. Samsung, which is now a bitter rival of Apple, was once the manufacturer of the chips included in Apple’s iconic iPhones, but things have shifted between their relationship so now the latter is taking its business somewhere else.
• Switzerland. European countries’ contribution to the iPhone may have dwindled, but one manufacturer from Switzerland is still providing the tech giant with a highly important gyroscope.
• China. There is an ongoing issue that iPhones are not manufactured in the US but in China as seen on the label of these devices. This doesn’t literally mean that all parts came from this country, but rather that it is here where the assembly of the gadget is done. This means that this is where all the raw materials are taken as the manufacturing plant in Shenzen can produce thousands of iPhones per day.

From Manufacturing to Selling

Now that you have an idea where the parts of an iPhone come from, what happens next? Like it was mentioned before, all the manufactured parts will be delivered to China where the largest manufacturing plant for iPhones can be found under Foxconn. It is in this facility where the assembly and testing take place. As each iPhone is completed, it will then be packaged in a white box, wrapped up, and then placed on a tray where the rest of the devices wait before they are wheeled out in trucks.

From the manufacturing plant, the newly assembled and packaged Apple products will be taken to a customs facility where Apple can easily ship out their new devices to their Chinese consumers. It is also here where the rest of the iPhones are sold to Apple before they are distributed to the rest of the world.

Apple iPhones that are set to be delivered to the United States and other countries are shipped out by plane. This is quite different from before where personal computers were shipped out by cargo which typically takes a month before they reach their destination. Nowadays, it will take a couple of hours only before these products reach several countries as a single Boeing 747 can carry up to 150,000 of these newly assembled iPhones in one flight. Just imagine how many iPhones are being shipped out each day.

From there, these devices are then taken to Apple Stores and certified retailers where they will then be sold at various prices depending on the iPhone model.

What About a Refurbished iPhone?

Refurbished iPhones, on the other hand, take a different route compared to the manufacturing and assembly. This is because it begins with an iPhone being returned to the Apple Store itself or to a retailer by a customer who wanted to exchange it for a different model, or because they had an issue with the product.

This device will undergo a refurbishment process where the unit will be opened up to check all the hardware components to see which ones are causing the problem. If there are parts that are malfunctioning, they will be replaced before being tested once more. The software will also be checked as well as all the built-in apps to ensure that everything is working smoothly. Usually, the battery is replaced as well as the screen, then it will be restored to its factory settings. Apple will then place the newly refurbished iPhone in a white box before it is sold along with its accessories, but not with the original price anymore.

Why Go the Refurbished Route?

You might be wondering whether going for a refurbished version of an iPhone will be worth it, but if you haven’t heard of it yet, a lot of people are choosing refurbished over brand-new Apple products. Why do you ask? Well, they are cheaper, and they also work like new with the exception that they are no longer packaged in a sealed box. What’s more, if you prefer an older model, which is no longer listed on Apple’s site, then there is a good chance that you will find what you seek in a refurbished setting.

Refurbished doesn’t necessarily mean that it is used. This is because there are devices that have been returned that are fully functional and without any issues. It’s just that the buyer returned it because they prefer a different model and nothing more. As you can see, this means that the device is barely used hence they remain in pristine condition. And since Apple can no longer sell them as brand-new, you will get them at a discounted price which is great for your savings.

Even if you purchase from third-party sellers, you will find several of them selling refurbished iPhones at less than their original price. Take note, however, that the condition of the refurb will play a part in the cost of the device. Usually, iPhones that have been graded A, are priced higher but not too high since Grade A is the highest mark meaning that the unit is functioning like new. This is what you should look for when searching for a refurbished iPhone.

Conclusion

The journey that a single iPhone takes is quite interesting as it begins from the drawing board from Apple’s main company in Cupertino in California. Once the design has been approved, the materials needed for it will then be gathered from different parts of the world and manufactured according to the specifications of the tech giant. All parts will then be transported to China where they will be assembled to what we now know as the iPhone.

It cannot be said that Apple itself is all hands on deck when it comes to the manufacturing of their devices but rather it is an amalgamation of different parts that span several countries across the globe. Yes, the US-based tech giant is the brains behind these wonderful gadgets, but the parts and the assembly are done somewhere else. It is not surprising that many Americans are clamoring for the iPhone to be done in the US instead as they assume that China is the one manufacturing everything. Little do most people know that the assembly is done in China as labor is cheaper there and that more iPhones are being produced by the hour.

Angelika Muderris, she is a passionate writer and also heads the operations at QwikFone.