SiTime

How can factory owners decide to buy new equipment with all these constant changes to policy? How can small business owners decide to hire additional workers with all of these constant changes to policy? How can workers decide to change jobs with all of these constant changes to policy? How can parents of children approaching college-age make decisions about their 529 college savings plans with all of these constant changes to policy? How can people approaching retirement age make decisions about whether to move from the equities market to the fixed-income market with all of these constant changes to policy? How can anybody do anything with all of this insanity?!?

Stabitha_Christie said:

 “The army of millions and millions of people screwing in little, little screws to make iPhones, that kind of thing is going to come to America" -Howard Lutnick 

So, if there was any question about if the Trump administration knows what it is doing, there it is. Not an f--ing clue. The cult will still carry water for Dear Leader because the cult has gotta cult. 

When I read your reply a few hours ago, I assumed it was a fake quote. Not that you posting fake news, but that you were doing an obvious-parody of something stupid that Lutnick might say. I thought it was a parody and I laughed. And then I gave your reply a ‘Like’ because it was quite funny.

zeus423 said:

Warren is a career politician. I’m sure she’s very familiar with corruption. 

Unless the definition of “career politician” has changed recently, that is false. She is not a career politician. She was first elected to political office at the age of 63. She spent the majority of her career in academia. Which… I know “academia” is also a word that will trigger some people’s feelings.

bobroo said:

I'm certain it works out like this:

Trump recinds his 145% tax on Americans for buying Chinese goods because too many Americans don't like paying 145% more for a shopping cart of goods from Costco, Target, Walmart, or Amazon.

President Xi doesn't budge and China doesn't buy as many American made goods ever again.


China will win the battle and show the world that there is a new world powerhouse in control.  

China’s economy isn’t exactly in a position of strength right now. Well… no country’s economy will be strong if this continues. But even before all of this, China’s economy wasn’t doing so well. Various structural issues and whatnot.

If Trump removed the American tariffs, Xi would remove the Chinese tariffs as well. Xi doesn’t want to more than double the prices of American goods for Chinese consumers (if he doesn’t have to in order to retaliate against Trump tariffs). Especially since many of the American goods that Chinese consumers buy are food products.

This tariff war isn’t good for any country (America included, China included). The world is just waiting for one man to realize that. 

9secondkox2 said:

So apple benefits from the panic buy now. Then when September hits and things have cooled a bit, apple benefits again from upgraders? Highly possible. Be interesting to revisit in 5 months. 

Very few buying now are going to buy again just 5 months. This is demand that is being pulled forward. 

aslam said:

The top of the article says that prices would rise in the US and elsewhere. I’m struggling with rationalizing the “and elsewhere” part of it. I see how prices would have to rise for American consumers because tariffs would apply on products produced in China, but why would prices rise for those outside of the US? If I’m not mistaken, most of Apple’s product like iPads, Macs and iPhones are assembled in China with parts manufactured entirely outside the US. So that product, when sold to a Canadian or European, should cost the same as before, should it not? Canada hasn’t levied new tariffs on Chinese-made products or on parts from India, Taiwan, etc., so shouldn’t the price remain the same for Apple to produce the product in China and then sell it in Canada or Europe? Maybe I’m missing something or some element of the supply chain. Can someone elaborate on this for me?

Despite the “America doesn’t manufacture things anymore” narrative said by some people, America actually does make things in the United States. There are iPhone components that are made by American companies and manufactured in America (as well by non-American companies with manufacturing in America).

Gorilla Glass, as a notable example, is a product of the American company Corning and is manufactured in Kentucky, USA (with other manufacturing facilities throughout the world). If countries slap retaliatory tariffs on made in the USA products (without any exceptions), it could increase the cost of Gorilla Glass manufactured in Kentucky (and sold and shipped to companies in non-American countries).

Additionally, there are memory component companies with manufacturing facilities in America. There are radio frequency chip component companies with manufacturing facilities in America. Etcetera and so on.

Some people incorrectly think that “global supply chain” is code for “Asia-only supply chain”. But It’s truly a global supply chain (and that includes the United States).

twolf2919 said:

You might want to consider reading what you previously wrote :-)

"but now, that may not have been necessary. Exemptions may not occur, and anything could happen or change at a moment's notice, so Apple may continue shipping iPhones in massive quantities to stockpile during the 90-day reprieve."

As you wrote yourself earlier in the piece, China is not part of the 90-day reprieve, so unless Trump specificially excludes Apple, Apple doesn't have 90 days to stockpile.

Many iPhones are assembled in China, but iPhones are assembled in countries other than China as well. Apple can continue to ship iPhones from India (and elsewhere ex-China) to warehouses in America at the 10% tariffs rate during the 90-day pause. America can get the India (and elsewhere ex-China) assembled iPhones, while the China assembled iPhones can go to the rest of the world.

How on earth can every country on earth possible manage to negotiate 194-ish separate deals with America in just 90-days? Even if every country wanted to make a deal immediately (right this very moment), does America have enough negotiators to manage 194-ish separate negotiations simultaneously?

More than 194-ish deals if the tariffed-penguins of the uninhabited islands near Antarctic also need to negotiate. Does America have any negotiators who speak Penguinese? Or did all the woke Penguinese speakers get DOGEed-out of the government because they were too DEI?

In an infinite multiverse of possible timelines, how did we manage the end up in the absolute stupidest one?

Just an observation:

Tim Apple isn’t actually waiting for robotic arms to bring iPhone assembly to the United States. Saying “I need to have the robotic arms.” is a kind of diplomatic tech executive way of saying “Sure, I’ll do it… when pigs fly!!!”

Somehow Lutnick thought Cook was expressing a genuine desire. Cook has no plans at all of bringing iPhone assembly to the United States. Lutnick, you need to learn how to read between the lines.

netrox said:

Are they really out of their minds? I cannot fathom how they could in good conscience sell such an inferior USB 2.0 data speed with 60W. I've ordered colorful USB4 cables with full 240W/80GB from Amazon. 

This is simply not acceptable. 

I mean… most iPhone models (everything that is not an iPhone Pro/Pro Max) are limited to USB 2.0 data transfer speeds. And even the iPhone 16 Pro/Pro Max that does support USB 3.0 for data transfer is limited to (if I recall correctly) 30 watts for wired charging. And if you are specifically buying Beats cables to use with Beats products, there are no Beats products that need anything more than USB 2.0/60w. 

You can certainly use USB-C 4.0 cables that support 240 watts for use with your iPhone. You can use a Thunderbolt 5 cable capable of 120GB/s and 240w. But for most iPhone users, USB 2.0 for data and 60 watts is enough (can’t make use of anything more than that).

Don’t get me wrong: I would certainly like a non-Pro iPhone capable of at least USB 3.0 data transfer speed (and charging a little faster as well would be nice). Maybe in September Apple will go with USB 3.0 throughout the entirety of the iPhone 17 lineup. I haven’t heard any such rumors, but let’s all hope.

And in terms of price, these Beats branded cables are actually longer than the Apple branded cables at the same MSRP ($18.99 for a 1.5 meter Beats cable vs. $19.000 for a 1 meter Apple cable). Or $17.50 per 1.5 meter Beats cable if you go for the 2-pack. In terms of Apple Tax accessories, the Beats cables are the better value.