Ryan Haines / Android Authority
Considering that Google and Apple are fierce rivals, most people are surprised to learn that Pixels and iPhones are actually made by the same company. While it may seem weird, it’s actually common practice in the world of not only smartphones but electronics in general.
But who is this mysterious company behind your favorite smartphone, why do both Apple and Google use it, and which other companies are also on its client list?
Did you know Pixels and iPhones are assembled by the same company? 202 votes Yes 33 % No 67 %
First things first: What does “made by” really mean
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
Before we get into all the details about the company behind Pixels and iPhones, we first need to clarify how smartphones are actually made and what the word “made by” really means in the context of this post, just to clear some of the confusion.
Making a smartphone is quite the process, and neither Google nor Apple has its own factories set up. Instead, they hire specialized companies that offer Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS). These companies provide the service of physically assembling electronic products and are commonly referred to as assembly partners in the tech industry.
An EMS company like this usually doesn’t manufacture anything under its own brand (though there are exceptions). It is instead focused solely on producing products for other client companies. This makes sense for a lot of reasons, especially for smaller market players. For example, a company like HMD Global (behind Nokia phones) likely doesn’t have enough financial resources to set up its own manufacturing facilities, and even if it did, the economics wouldn’t make sense since its smaller production volume wouldn’t justify the huge cost of running a dedicated factory. It’s simply easier and less risky to outsource production, which was the right move considering the fact that things aren’t looking great for the company at the moment
It also makes sense for bigger companies like Google and Apple. By outsourcing production, they can focus on their core business — design, software, and custom chips — and leave the complex manufacturing logistics to partner companies that specialize in it.
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