TIL - that definitely changes my perspective. Although the reason I focused on the Apple example is because the Fold is also all about the chassis, the fact that Samsung has operated for other components means their learning curve is smaller relative to Apple.

I agree the skilled labor issue would solve over time, but choosing to manufacture their most complex flagship product is what is ballsy here, when Apple is struggling on even making their lower end and simpler products in India.

Its relatively common to manufacture the latest product in country A and migrate production of that product to lower cost countries over time. For example, Gillette has always done that with their razors. But setting up your flagship manufacturing in a new country which doesnt have the needed infrastructure is a supremely risky move.

And as I mentioned - beside the labor issue, there is also the cultural issue. It's telling that Vivek Wadhwa is saying the solution is for Apple to learn "jugaad"; when the choice is developing a new set of jugaadu skills in India vs. setting up manufacturing in other SE Asian countries, the appeal of Indian manufacturing diminishes.

Ballsy move, given some of the issues Apple's been facing. It should get better over time but there's massive cultural & regulatory issues to solve for beyond just the labor skilling and operational efficiency issues.

Excerpts:

>At a casings factory in Hosur run by Indian conglomerate Tata, one of Apple’s suppliers, just about one out of every two components coming off the production line is in good enough shape to eventually be sent to Foxconn, Apple’s assembly partner for building iPhones, according to a person familiar with the matter.
This 50 per cent “yield” fares badly compared with Apple’s goal for zero defects. Two people that have worked in Apple’s offshore operations said the factory is on a plan towards improving proficiency but the road ahead is long.

>
>In China, suppliers and government officials took a “whatever it takes” approach to win iPhone orders. Former Apple employees describe instances in which they would estimate a certain task might take several weeks, only to show up the next morning to find it already completed at inexplicable speed.
Operations in India are not running at that sort of pace, said a former Apple engineer briefed on the matter: “There just isn’t a sense of urgency.”
A person involved in Apple operations said the process of expanding to India is slow in part because of logistics, tariffs and infrastructure. This person said Apple’s diversification into south-east Asia has been smoother thanks to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a free trade agreement among 10 regional nations.

​

>Wadhwa acknowledged that the fragmented, bureaucratic government in India was something Apple would need to adapt to. He suggested its engineers learn the art of jugaad — a way of “making do” or transcending obstacles. “Because everything in India is an obstacle,” he said.

The only surprising word in this entire title is "apologizes"

This is what I did, heh

How to get your CPU hot and bothered

Magic 8 ball says: "You may rely on it"

So am I, numbnut. No one gives a shit about credentials as a dick measuring contest on reddit. This was a perfectly polite conversation until you responded with this.

Yeah this is what happens when not enough people are science literate.

There are literally dams used to store energy by pumping up water and converting to energy back on the way down.

Perpetual motion is theoretically impossible (as in violates all the laws of physics). Fusion is practically impossible - the same way nuclear fission was until we solved the engineering problems. They're not comparable.