Apple is an American technology company with a global supply chain. Until 2003, Apple's own factories in the United States, Singapore, and Ireland were involved in assembly. Although initially an advocate for production at these facilities, CEO Steve Jobs stated in 2005 that it "didn't work."
In 1985, Apple reduced its parts suppliers from 1,500 to 250 and closed down plants in Texas, Ireland, and California. In the mid-1980s, the LaserWriter was the first branded product designed by Apple to be manufactured by a third-party (Canon). After in-house issues with the Macintosh Portable, PowerBook engineering and manufacturing was outsourced to Sony. In 1994, Apple began interviewing manufacturers in Taiwan due to unfavorable economic conditions in Japan. Production for the Newton was shifted from Sharp to Inventec. South Korean firms, including Samsung and LG, worked closely with Apple as parts partners for the iMac, iPod, and iPhone before it increased its reliance on Taiwan and China. Taiwanese Apple suppliers such as Foxconn, Wistron, Pegatron, and Quanta established a sizable manufacturing presence in China. By 2019, Apple had more suppliers on their top 200 list from China than the United States. By the 2020s, orders were shifting to Chinese firms such as to Luxshare, BYD Electronic, Goertek, and Wingtech. By 2021, Apple's supplier list had more companies from China than Taiwan. But due to tariffs, labor costs, and the 2022 Shanghai lockdown, Apple and its suppliers diversified production "away from China to India, Mexico, the United States, and Vietnam."
Apple has exercised control over its suppliers (and related costs) by purchasing materials on their behalf, buying machinery for their facilities, and training their workforces. Apple has also threatened to penalize suppliers millions of dollars per leak to enforce confidentiality. Some supplier executives have opted for vague phrasing when discussing their relationship with Apple in public.
Apple released a list of its major suppliers for the first time in 2012. The list has generally been released in yearly intervals since. The following tables list suppliers and information about their operations related to Apple products.
Final assembly CompanyProductReferenceBYDiPadCompalApple WatchiPadFoxconnAirPodsiPadiPhoneMacBookGoertekAirPodsApple WatchHomePodInventecApple WatchHomePodLuxshareAirPodsiPhoneVision ProPegatroniPadiPhoneQuantaApple WatchTata ElectronicsiPhone
Components CompanyComponent typeReferenceAdvanced Semiconductor Engineering chipAmkor TechnologyApple silicon packagingBaotou Inst Magnetic New Materialsrare-earth magnetsMinebeaMitsumiLCD backlightQorvoradio-frequency chipsTPK Holding Companytouch module
Product lines
Apple Watch CompanyComponent typeReferenceAAC Technologiesacoustic and hapticBroadcomradio-frequency chipsLG DisplaypanelsLuen Fung GroupcasingsNidecmotor
iPad CompanyComponent typeReferenceAAC Acoustic Technologiesacoustic and hapticBroadcomradio-frequency chipsCoherent CorporationVCSEL lasersInnoLuxtouch-screenLG Display CompanyOLED panelsSK Hynixmemory chipsTSMCApple silicon chips
iPhone
CompanyComponent typeReferenceAAC Acoustic Technologieacoustic and hapticBOE TechnologyOLED displayBiel Crystal Manufactorycover glassBroadcomradio-frequency chipsCatcher Technologymetal casingsCoherent CorporationVCSEL lasersCorningglassHi-P InternationalSIM card tray volume-control buttonsJabilaluminum housingLens TechnologyglassLG DisplayOLED panelLG Innotekcamera modulesLumentumlasersMurata Manufacturingfoldable circuitsNitto Denkooptical filmsNXP SemiconductorsNFC chipsQualcomm5G modemsRenesas Electronicsliquid crystal display chips Samsung DisplayOLED panelsSharpscreensSimplo TechnologybatteriesSK hynixmemory chipsSkyworks SolutionschipsSolwayplasticSonyimage sensorSunny Optical Technologycamera lensesTDKbatteriesTPK HoldingsdisplaysTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing CompanyApple Silicon chipsYoung Poong GroupRFPCB
Mac CompanyComponent typeReferenceEverwin PrecisionMacbook chassisTaiwan Semiconductor ManufacturingApple Silicon chips
Vision Pro Suppliers of the Vision Pro have included Shenzhen Desay Battery Technology, Shenzhen Everwin Precision Technology, Lingyi iTech, Largan Precision, Genius Electronic Optical, GIS-KY, TSMC, Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, and Sony Corp. SK Hynix was reportedly selected as the Vision Pro's DRAM supplier in 2023. CompanyComponent typeReferenceShenzhen Zhaowei Machineryelectric focus drive system
Accessories CompanyComponent typeReferenceCheng Uei Precision Industry Company (Foxlink)cablesCosmosupplylabiPad smart coverDelta ElectronicsadapterschargersKnowles Corporationmicrophones
Discontinued supplier relationships CompanyProductRoleReferenceOFILMiPhonecamera modulesImagination TechnologiesiPhonegraphics processing unitiPadIntelMacprocessorsJapan DisplayApple WatchpanelsJapan DisplayiPhonedisplaySamsungiPhonechipWingtechMac MinimanufacturingMacbook
Discontinued product lines CompanyProductRoleReferenceAsustekiPodmanufacturingCanonLaserWritermanufacturingChinon IndustriesQuicktakemanufacturingFujifilmFlexMac PromanufacturingFoxconniPodmanufacturingInventeciPodmanufacturingInventecNewtonmanufacturingLGiMacmanufacturingLG DisplayiPodpanelPegatroniPod ShufflemanufacturingPortalPlayeriPodchipsQuantaiMac G4manufacturingiPod VideomanufacturingSamsungiPodchipsiPodflash memoryiPoddisplaysiPodprocessorsSharpNewtonmanufacturingSonyiBook batteriesPowerbook batteriesPowerbook manufacturingSynapticsiPodscrolling wheel
See also
Criticism of Apple Inc.#Contract manufacturers
External links
Supply Chain Innovation Reports FY23 Supplier list FY22 Supplier list (PDF) FY20 Supplier list (PDF)
References