Liberty Phone: Made in USA, Priced at $1,999

It is possible to make a smartphone in the United States. But it will not be as sleek or powerful as the iPhone that Americans are so familiar with. And of course, it will cost a lot more.

Todd Weaver’s company, Purism, has developed the Liberty Phone, a device that demonstrates the reality that it is possible to manufacture a phone in the United States. The specs of the phone, which would have seemed impressive 10 years ago, are now priced at $1,999. That’s now, after originally going for $2,199.

President Trump has threatened to impose high tariffs on imported smartphones, to put pressure on companies like Apple, thereby requiring corporations to move production back to the United States.

Meanwhile, the Trump Organization is promoting a “Made in the USA” phone for $499, but the technical specifications show that the device cannot be manufactured in the US with the current supply chain situation.

Supply chain analysts agree that it’s impossible to match the quality and scale of Asia’s manufacturing today. But Weaver’s Liberty Phone, not the Trump phone, offers a real look at domestic manufacturing and why no one else has followed suit.

The Liberty Phone’s motherboard is made in Purism’s factory, the processor comes from Texas, and the assembly is done at Purism’s facility in Carlsbad, California. But not all the parts are American-made. Some other components come from China and other Asian countries. “I’ve been working on this project for 10 years, and we’ve tried our best to build on American manufacturing,” Weaver says.

“However, there are still some parts that don’t have a supply chain. We will continue to improve until we reach the point where we have a supply chain on U.S. soil.”Weaver said his company can produce the Liberty Phone at a rate of about 10,000 units per month, but so far he has sold less than 100,000. By contrast, Apple is expected to ship about 225 million phones by 2024, according to market analysis firm Canalys.

The Liberty Phone also doesn't run on Android or iOS. Its SoC, made by Dutch semiconductor company NXP in Austin, Texas, is designed for cars, not smartphones. It runs on Purism's PureOS, which supports only basic functions like calling, texting, and web browsing, along with a few simple apps like a calculator.

The display and battery come from China, while the rear camera is imported from South Korea. Weaver said that the ability to produce a fully American-made phone is limited by a lack of domestic infrastructure.

For example, no company in the United States currently mass-produces smartphone displays. Such difficulties, even on Purism’s small scale, partly explain why Apple and others have yet to seriously consider bringing high-end smartphone production back to American soil.

Weaver says the Liberty Phone costs about $650 in components and manufacturing costs. Purism’s higher labor costs in the US are partly offset by cheaper, lower-quality components: a basic camera, a low-resolution screen, and half the RAM. Weaver says the Liberty Phone isn’t designed to compete with current iPhones.

About half of Purism's customers are government agencies across the US, he added. "For consumers, it's security professionals, parents who want phones for their kids, seniors, or people who want to stay away from big tech companies," Weaver said. "People who need a powerful camera on a phone are not the people we want to serve."