Apple to Produce 100% of iPhone and Apple Watch Cover Glass in US with Corning Partnership

Apple will expand its partnership with Corning to produce 100% of iPhone and Apple Watch cover glass in Kentucky, thanks to a $2.5B investment. The new production line will create the largest and most advanced production line for smartphone glass ever created, with Corning dedicating 100% of its new facility to manufacturing for Apple. The project will increase Corning's local workforce by 50% and will include a new Apple-Corning Innovation Center for developing advanced materials and next-generation manufacturing platforms.

Apple and Corning have announced a significant expansion of their long-standing partnership to manufacture precision glass for Apple products. The new $2.5 billion investment from Apple will enable Corning to produce all of the cover glass for iPhone and Apple Watch units sold worldwide in the United States for the first time. This commitment is part of Apple's broader plan to invest $600 billion in the U.S. economy over the next four years [1].

Corning will create the world's largest and most advanced smartphone glass production line at its Harrodsburg, Kentucky, facility. The facility will be dedicated entirely to manufacturing for Apple, which is expected to increase Corning's local workforce by 50%. Additionally, the two companies will open a new Apple-Corning Innovation Center at the Harrodsburg plant. This center will play a crucial role in developing advanced materials and next-generation manufacturing platforms for Apple's future product generations [1].

The new production line will be a significant milestone for both companies. Corning, a storied American company, has a long history of innovation with Apple, having developed and manufactured the glass for the original iPhone in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, 18 years ago. Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, "Corning is a storied American company, and we’re thrilled to work together to build the largest and most advanced production line ever created for smartphone glass. Thanks to the power of American manufacturing, any customer anywhere in the world who buys a new iPhone or Apple Watch will be holding precision glass made right here in Kentucky. We’re grateful to the President and his administration for their support for American manufacturing, and we’re excited for the innovation this investment will unlock" [1].

This expansion is part of Apple's broader commitment to invest in the U.S. economy. Since the creation of Apple's U.S. Advanced Manufacturing Fund in 2017, Apple has invested nearly $500 million in Corning's Kentucky operations, with billions more spent on glass manufactured in the U.S. Corning also plays a key role in Apple's supply chain by providing raw materials for the production of advanced silicon chips in America [1].

This announcement is a testament to Apple's ongoing commitment to investing in the U.S. and driving American innovation. Apple partners with thousands of suppliers across all 50 states, supporting more than 450,000 supplier and partner jobs. In the next four years, Apple plans to directly hire 20,000 people in the U.S., focusing on R&D, silicon engineering, software development, and AI and machine learning [1].

References:
[1] https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/08/apple-corning-to-manufacture-all-iphone-apple-watch-cover-glass-in-kentucky/
[2] https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/apple-and-corning-partner-manufacture-100-percent-iphone-and-apple-watch-cover-glass