Smartphones, for the most part, tend to be made in places like China or Taiwan, and the simple reason is partly because it is cheaper, but also because the know-how and infrastructure make it more convenient. Products like Apple’s iPhone, but other devices as well, typically sports the tag that reads that it was designed in the US, but assembled in China. However, Motorola has hoped to change that with its Moto X, a smartphone that is assembled in the US (many parts are still coming from Asia and elsewhere). This is a feature that Motorola is pretty proud of, claiming on its blog, “There are 150 million smartphones in the USA. Until Moto X, not one of them was made here,” in celebration of the official launch of the company’s manufacturing facility in Fort Worth, Texas.
There are a lot of factors people take into consideration before purchasing a smartphone, and hardware specifications, features, design, apps, and etc. are some of them. There also those who consider other factors, such as where it was made, are the workers who made it treated fairly, is it made of recyclable material, and so on. Of course, there is some sense of pride in purchasing a product that is made in your own country, and not to mention that by focusing on local manufacturing efforts, it helps provide local jobs.
On the business side of things, Motorola has noted that it is not much more expensive to build phones in the US anymore, and is almost comparable to costs in Asia. Being closer to your manufacturer will also allow your products to be designed and refined in a much more efficient manner they say. At the end of the day, is this just good business sense for Motorola to open up shop in the US? Or will the “Assembled in the USA” tagline act as a marketing tool that Motorola hopes to appeal to customers not just in the US, but around the world as well? Only time will tell.