Apple's Tim Cook says Macs will be made in US

Tim Cook announced the new Mac range in October

Apple is to begin manufacturing one of its Mac lines exclusively in its home country.

In an interview with NBC, the firm's chief executive Tim Cook said the company had been working on "doing more and more" in the US.

Apple's products are mostly assembled in China, where the company has faced criticisms over working conditions.

It was Mr Cook's first broadcast interview since taking over from Steve Jobs, who died in October 2011.

Speculation that Apple was about to shift manufacturing of its Mac range grew when some of the products in its latest line had the words "Assembled in USA" inscribed on the back.

In a separate interview with Bloomberg Business Week, Mr Cook said the company would be investing "over $100m" (£62m) in making more in the US.

Speaking to NBC's Brian Williams, Mr Cook noted that key components in Apple products such as the iPhone were already manufactured in the US, but were then shipped out to be assembled.

"The engine in [the iPhone] is made in America... but engines are made in America and are exported. The glass on this phone is made in Kentucky. We've been working for years on doing more and more in the United States."

Mr Cook said Apple was indirectly responsible for creating more than 600,000 jobs in the US through retail stores, research and development and third-party app developers.

Skills shortage

Apple has come under pressure to create more jobs in the US rather than in low-wage parts of the world.

Mr Cook said there were no issues over cost, instead blaming a lack of skills in the US to facilitate modern manufacturing.

"The consumer electronics world was really never here," Mr Cook said. "It's a matter of starting it here."

Mr Cook also discussed the furore around Apple Maps - created to replace Google Maps software on its devices.

The software was widely criticised by users who complained it contained many inaccuracies.

"We screwed up and we are putting the weight of the company behind correcting it," Mr Cook said.

"On Maps, a few years ago, we decided that we wanted to provide customers features that we didn't have in the current edition of Maps.

"It didn't meet our customers' expectation, and our expectations of ourselves are even higher than our customers'."

Speaking of former chief executive Steve Jobs, Mr Cook said: "I loved Steve dearly, and miss him dearly.

"He told me, on a couple of occasions before he passed away, to never question what he would have done. Never ask the question, 'What Steve would do?'... just do what's right."