iPhone production in India is reportedly ramping up, with 2018’s iPhone XR supposedly being assembled there.
The units allegedly aren‘t for export, but will be sold in-country.
While the news that Apple’s partner Foxconn is expanding production of the XR from China to India has yet to be officially announced, no less a source than The Wall Street Journal says this mid-range iOS handset is now being made in this second country.
Growing iPhone in India
Apple make up only a small portion of the Indian market, partially because the government levies 20% tariffs on imported high-end phones in hopes of forcing companies to produce them locally. That campaign appears to be succeeding, with iPhone XR production kicking off. Apple can now sell this handset for less with the tariffs removed.
Going beyond that, earlier this year Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly convinced Apple to produce iPhone units for export to Europe. Apple is looking to expand production out of China as the trade war between that country and the US deepens.
The iPhone XR came out last year, but is still in Apple’s product lineup as a lower-cost option, not just in India but around the world. India-made units could be sold almost anywhere.