Here’s why Google and Apple don’t make their own phones

Most manufacturers don’t make their own phones. There are exceptions, of course, with Samsung being the most well-known, but others just get an EMS (Electronics Manufacturing Services) provider that handles assembly. Some even go a step further and partner up with an ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) that not only makes their phones but designs them as well, inside and out.

Google and Apple don’t go that far. Both design their own phones, and they even design their CPUs. But they don’t make a single phone since neither of them has any factories set up. They both work with an EMS provider, which actually happens to be the same one in some cases.

But why is that? One could argue that it would make more sense for both companies to handle manufacturing on their own for more control and higher margins, but the story isn’t as simple as it may…