Apple sells approximately 220 million iPhones annually, based on recent estimates. This figure fluctuates with product launches and market trends, but 220 million units per year is a reasonable baseline for 2025-2027. With theorized enhancements, such as a 5-minute assembly cycle by October 2027, each Optimus can assemble one iPhone every 5 minutes. Assuming a 12-hour shift (720 minutes), one Optimus can assemble 144 iPhones per shift. With two shifts per day accounting for maintenance breaks, one Optimus can assemble 288 iPhones per day. Over a 250-day work year, accounting for downtime, maintenance, and holidays, one Optimus can assemble 72,000 iPhones annually.

Currently, Apple relies on Foxconn and other manufacturers in China, employing millions of workers; for example, Foxconn's Zhengzhou plant had 200,000 workers in 2022. U.S. manufacturing faces challenges such as a lack of specialized labor, higher labor costs, and limited supply chain infrastructure compared to China. Apple's $500 billion U.S. investment from 2025 to 2029 focuses on AI, semiconductors, and training—not iPhone assembly—suggesting limited near-term plans for U.S.-based iPhone production.