Apple manufacturing partner Foxconn reportedly already started assembling the upcoming iPhone 15 in India. This marks the first time a yet-to-launch iPhone is being produced outside of China.
Last year, iPhone 14 production started in India within a month of the phone going on sale.
The first company to assemble iPhone in India is reportedly getting out of the business. Wistron is selling the plant where it puts together Apple handsets to Tata Group, an Indian multinational based in Mumbai.
At the same time, Foxconn and Pegatron continue to grow their commitments to manufacturing iPhones in India.
A government minister is “confident” that Apple will double or even triple the amount of money it has invested in India in the coming years. It’s expanding iPhone assembly in the subcontinent, and production of other devices there is expected to begin soon.
The comments come a day after Apple CEO Tim Cook met with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Apple CEO Tim Cook met with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday. It’s part of a busy agenda for the executive, including opening two Apple stores — the first in the subcontinent. But that’s just a small part of his activities as the executive traveled around to highlight how Apple products are being used in India.
Cook posted tweets from all the many events and meetings.
Apple’s first retail store in India opened its doors to shoppers Tuesday, and CEO Tim Cook showed up to celebrate. Apple BKC — housed in an energy-efficient structure with some stunning architectural details — is located inside Jio World Drive, a huge shopping complex in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
The Indian store opening marks an important milestone for Apple, as it seeks to expand its retail and manufacturing presence in the world’s most populous country.
Apple is finally ready to open its first retail store in India on April 18. And it will open its second store in the country just two days later.
The openings come after years of delay as Apple tried to establish a direct retail presence in the Asian country.
After recent problems in China, Apple is ramping up iPhone assembly in India. The number of iOS handsets assembled in that country will reportedly triple in the coming years.
Previous reports have also indicated that Apple is putting a much greater emphasis on making iPhones in India.
5G service launched in India in October, but no iPhone supports the high-speed wireless networking standard… yet. Apple plans to change that in December.
And those who are part of the iOS beta program can get access even earlier.
Apple TV+ offered a first look at upcoming drama series Shantaram this week in the form of a photo of star Charlie Hunnam (Son of Anarchy) in character, plus a rundown of the cast and plot of the adventure-romance, set to premiere October 14.
And speaking of drama and adventure, the production ran into big trouble on the way to becoming a reality.
Foxconn will begin shipping the iPhone 14 from its assembly plant in India almost as soon as its Chinese plant starts shipping Apple’s next smartphone, according to an industry analyst. This is apparently a sign that Apple is decreasing its dependence on China.
And Foxconn is reportedly building up its assembly capacity in India.
