[TheLegace]

I own this book. It was invaluable navigating Shenzhen electronics markets. In Shenzhen it is easy to find any electronic part you need and has an extensive recycling ecosystem. You can find parts on the street which find it's way upstream and end up in completed phones. Those phones are then resold.

That was my goal when I was there to build an iPhone in my hotel room by buying every individual part. And except for the thumbprint(because it needs to be reflashed) everything worked perfectly. I even named it my non-Sweatshop iPhone.

[conception]

That sounds like an amazing vlog/blog article. Any chance you made one?

[starkparker]

Not OP, but: https://www.strangeparts.com/how-i-made-my-own-iphone-in-chi...

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14100989

EDIT: Noticed that's Naomi Wu with the top comment on that HN discussion.

[ametrau]

Ha. I was thinking about that exact video when I saw the title.

[cortesoft]

> I even named it my non-Sweatshop iPhone

Are the conditions at the parts factories any better than at the final assembly factory?

[KeplerBoy]

Probably. I guess the final assembly requires the highest amount of cheap relatively unskilled labor.

Actual chip foundries are no sweat shops.

[mensetmanusman]

How much cheaper was it?

[smashed]

It doesn't have to be about saving money.