Agony Quote by Eric Liu
“Why does an iPhone cost only a couple hundred dollars? Because, as the stage performer Mike Daisey depicted in an arresting one-man show called 'The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs,' Apple's shiniest products are made by a shadowy company in China called Foxconn.”
About This Quote
Source Podcast: The Daily, 2020
The iPhone’s low price hides costly manufacturing by Foxconn, revealing hidden labor exploitation.
In simple terms: Cheap phones mask expensive, hidden production costs.
Key Takeaway
Investigate product origins.
Themes
technology
economics
ethics
Mood
critical
inquisitive
Type
analytical
ethical
When to use this quote
- consumer electronics
- tech reviews
- corporate responsibility reports
- activism
Key Concepts
global supply chains
labor rights
Questions to Reflect On
- How does knowing the supply chain affect your purchase?
- What responsibilities do buyers have?
A Different Perspective
Consumers may overlook ethical implications.
![“We'll get a chance to go through this [Apple versus Microsoft debate] again in phones and music players. There's no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance. It's a $500 subsidized item. They may make a lot of money. But if you actually take a look at the 1.3…” quote by Steve Ballmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d92/steve-ballmer-3273_apples_we-ll-get-a-chance-to-go-through-this-ap_1693500.jpg)
![“[W]e must learn to accommodate ourselves to the discovery that some of those cunningly-fashioned instruments called human souls have only a very limited range of music, and will not vibrate in the least under a touch that fills others with tremulous rapture or quivering agony.” quote by George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9be/george-eliot-84_agony_w-e-must-learn-to-accommodate-ourselves_12409.jpg)
