It's not the iPhone, but Apple has further detailed its latest effort in Houston, Texas to move Mac mini production to the US. On the morning of the State of the Union address, this will make some lawmakers very happy.
The Trump administration has long preached about increasing U.S. manufacturing, with President Donald Trump repeatedly demanding iPhone production on U.S. soil. In photos released on Tuesday morning, Apple shows it is making progress, if not necessarily with iPhones.
Following the Wall Street Journal's special access to Apple's facilities, the images and video show factory operations at Houston. The facility, which is currently used to assemble AI servers used for Apple's data centers, is being fitted out to make the Mac mini.
Apple Houston - Image Credit: Apple
In the release, Apple shares shots of the existing production line and workers on it. Work on the Mac mini line isn't shown, but Apple insists it is being constructed.
It will take the form of a new factory at the Houston facility, which will double the footprint at the campus. It expects the facility to be ready enough to make the Mac mini later in 2026.
Apple's AI production line - Image Credit: Apple
"Apple is deeply committed to the future of American manufacturing, and we're proud to significantly expand our footprint in Houston with the production of Mac mini starting later this year," said CEO Tim Cook. "We began shipping advanced AI servers from Houston ahead of schedule, and we're excited to accelerate that work even further."
Hands-on training
In the same press release, Apple also says that Houston will also see the opening of its Advanced Manufacturing Center. It too is under construction, and will be finished in time for work later in the year.
The 20,000-square-foot facility will provide hands-on training to students, employees of suppliers, and other businesses. This will take the form of tuition on the same manufacturing processes that Apple uses to make its products.
Workers inspecting equipment on the line - Image Credit: Apple
The existing Apple Manufacturing Academy in Detroit has supported more than 130 American manufacturers, guiding them with training on AI and automation. It has expanded to include virtual programming, allowing for remote access to its classes from across the U.S.
A small nod to U.S. manufacturing
The announcement is big news for lawmakers pushing to bring more manufacturing jobs to the U.S. workforce, including President Trump. The constant "Made in America" drumbeat has worked so far, despite most of it announced prior to Trump's push, and mostly business as usual.
With the plant this far along, and ready to go by the end of the year, this was planned by Apple for probably two or three years, given how long it takes to get permits, modification or construction permits, and actually outfit the facility.
Construction is ongoing - Image Credit: Apple
The Mac mini certainly doesn't pull down the same sales numbers as the iPhone. At best, Apple only sells about one million Mac minis globally, far lower than that of the iPhone.
Even so, Apple has been promoting its U.S. interests hard, with Cook insisting it is major. To be fair, it is major, but not at Apple's massive scale.
Trump and others will take it as a win for their ideologies, and it certainly is at this level of funding. But Apple won't be bringing iPhone to U.S. shores just yet, and still probably not ever.
Human hands on the production line, no robot arms yet - Image Credit: Apple
We have discussed in the past that the U.S. workforce education and training is simply not to the level that Apple needs for the iPhone, and that can't happen in one administration, and there wasn't much movement during or after Trump's first term, despite a very similar push. Cook has talked about the US labor force in the past, with the Chinese workforce viewed as having great vocational training.
To get U.S. manufacturing of the iPhone done, Cook himself has said that Apple would have to turn to automation. But those "robot arms" aren't ready yet to shift work away from China.
Like the 2019 Mac Pro factory visit, this is something that will make a bit of progress, but will certainly keep Apple in Trump's good books.
And, the State of the Union address is less than 24 hours after the initial reports the of Mac Mini factory surfaced.
