[zeroboy]

RIM manufactures their smartphones on-site in Waterloo Ontario Canada (I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong). I have a friend and a cousin who work at RIM and working conditions and wages are excellent.

I know for a fact I will never purchase an Apple device again. I don't want blood on my hands. RIM Blackberries may be the only ethical choice.

[brandon]

Good on you for citing ethics, but your point misses the mark.

Modern Blackberries include components from Samsung, Texus Instruments, Marvell, Cyprus, Renesas, Infineon, and dozen of other companies that may or may not be "ethically" manufacturing components.

As far as I'm concerned, there are no "responsibly built" electronics, but maybe I'm picking nits. (Or maybe I'm not picking enough nits! Are we responsibly sourcing our Lithium, Indium, and Tantalum? Seriously, search for "blood tantalum")

[zeroboy]

Just received confirmation that RIM's main manufacturing plant is in Waterloo. They also have a plant in Dallas, Hungary and Mexico.  A person in RIM management has told me the costs on RIM devices are typically higher because they stay away from unfair labor practices.

BTW: Ethics is my point. The fair treatment of ALL human beings should and must trump all other matters.

[Steko]

Major new factory in Malaysia producing all new models:

http://crackberry.com/blackberry-smartphones-now-made-malays...

Indications are the Waterloo (Canada) plant is mostly engineering plant with a tiny slice of their total output.

Components mostly Chinese:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffreycarr/2011/01/13/do-you-kn...

RIM’s five biggest suppliers account for 90% of its production costs. They are:

Elcoteq SE: Elcoteq is a Finnish company with a global factory network that includes “a regional office in Hong Kong, branch office of Beijing in Shenzhen, an Engineering Service Center and after-market services unit in Beijing and high-volume manufacturing units in Beijing and Dongguan.”

Jabil Circuit, Inc.: Jabil is a successful U.S. multinational company whose customers include Apple, Cisco, GE, IBM, and Research In Motion. Much of its manufacturing is done in Asia. “Prior to 2005, it acquired a Lucent Technologies plant in Shanghai, China. The company later added the electronics manufacturing business of Varian Inc. to its arsenal. It opened new facilities in China, India, and Ukraine, and expanded plants in Hungary, Malaysia, Mexico, and the United States. During 2006, Jabil set its sights on Taiwan Green Point Enterprises Co., a manufacturer of plastic casings used for items including cell phones, iPods, and Blackberry devices.”

Multi-Fineline Electronix Inc.: A U.S. company who makes RIM’s flexible circuit boards at its manufacturing facilities in Suzhou, China.

QUALCOMM is another important supplier who’s CDMA development center is in Beijing although it’s not clear which of its many overseas facilities supplies RIM.