One Of The Most Popular Macs Will Now Be Made In America

During Trump's second term, the company's CEO Tim Cook promised it would invest up to $600 billion in the U.S. economy in the next four years. He also signaled Apple would, in some capacity, move its production to the United States. While the dream of making the iPhone in the U.S. might never come true, Tim Cook confirmed in an Apple press release that Mac Mini production will start in Houston, Texas, by the end of 2026.

That means Apple will start making, in the United States, one of its most popular computers. Since the company revealed the Mac Mini with the M4 chip, which we have reviewed, this computer has become a success due to its price tag and powerful processor. Scientists, developers, and other professionals have been buying and stacking up Mac Minis to run their own local AI models. Besides that, the Mac Mini is also a great product for those wanting a powerful Mac device at a budget.

Apple's focus shift to the U.S. had been announced years ago. During the first term of U.S. President Donald Trump, Apple committed to start manufacturing some of its products in the United States. At that moment, in September 2019, the chosen product was the Mac Pro. Apple started manufacturing the computer in Austin, Texas, due to a lower demand and higher price tag than its other products.

With Apple focusing on manufacturing the Mac Mini in Houston, the company is also expecting its chip partner, TSMC, to continue to expand its plants in the country. So far, TSMC can produce Apple's A16 and Apple Watch processors, which power several devices like the HomePod, Apple Watch, Studio Display, and older iPhone models.

However, TSMC has plans to start manufacturing 3-nanometer chips, which could include a wider range of Apple products eventually being made in the country. The 3 nm technology is used for Apple's A17, A18, A19, M3, M4, and M5 chips, which includes all the current products the company sells, like the M4 Mac Mini — but it could also include a future M5 Mac Mini as well.

Even though Apple will likely continue to manufacture most of its Mac Minis outside of the U.S., it will give American users the opportunity to get a Mac "Made in America." This is not only good for the company's public reputation but also helps it navigate the political and economical turbulences that big tech firms that rely on China have been suffering under Trump's tariffs. Other reports also suggested that TSMC will produce in the future 2 nm chips in the U.S., which could lead the way to more powerful A20 and M6 chips being made in the country andbringing cutting-edge technology.

In a press release, Tim Cook wrote that "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." He also explained that the Houston facility is already delivering AI severs earlier than expected.

In addition to that, Apple is creating a 20,000-square-foot Advanced Manufacturing Center that should provide Americans all the expertise required to help Apple build its products in the country. It also wants to improve the general high-end manufacturing capabilities of the United States. The company says that it will teach advanced manufacturing techniques to students, supplier employees, and American businesses in general.

Even though Apple is planning to bring the Mac Mini production to the U.S., this could also indicate that the Mac Studio could come next. The computer's form factor is similar to the Mac Mini, but it uses more premium internals, including Max and Ultra processors. As Apple currently doesn't have plans to release a new Mac Pro, it would make sense if Foxconn started to manufacture these two Macs in the U.S.; so far, it's unclear if the company could bring its MacBook or other productions to the United States.