Two more manufacturers which regularly do work with Apple are eying up new potential plant locations outside of China. Wistron is reportedly looking to open a factory in the U.S. or, as a backup, Mexico. Chassis maker Catcher is, meanwhile, looking at Southeast Asia or Taiwan as locations.
This comes at a time when fears about a burgeoning trade war between China and the U.S. is making people worried about possible future trade.
Apple supplier Wistron has started manufacturing iPhone 7 handsets in India. This is the third model iPhone to be made in the country, following the iPhone SE and iPhone 6s.
“We are proud to be producing iPhone 7 in Bengaluru for our local customers, furthering our long-term commitment in India,” Apple told the Economic Times newspaper.
Apple is one step closer to manufacturing flagship iPhones in India for the first time.
India’s IT ministry today signed off on plans to build a local Wistron factory that is expected to produce the iPhone 8. It should make the device significantly more affordable to local consumers in the future.
More and more Apple suppliers are considering building devices in India, and a new concession might make that possibility even more plausible.
According to a new report, India has deferred a plan which would have introduced tax on touch panel imports. These tariffs were supposed to be introduced in February, but have supposedly been delayed until at least April 2020. This follows lobbying from smartphone makers.
Apple is hoping to secure new tax incentives in India that will allow it to increase local iPhone production and export more devices to be sold in other countries.
The company has teamed up with other large names in the Indian Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) to propose a raise in export credits on smartphone shipments, as well as tariff cuts on imports of components and machinery.
The group argues that manufacturing growth cannot be sustained and accelerated without the changes.
Wistron, one of Apple’s iPhone manufacturers, is ramping up its investment in India. According to a new report, the company has vastly increased its authorized capital expenditure in India to meet its future development plans.
This follows on from another recent report, suggesting that fellow manufacturer Foxconn is set to start building flagship iPhones in the country.
Apple plans to start manufacturing another iPhone in India, according to a new report.
Partner Wistron has already started trial production of the iPhone 6s Plus at its Bangalore plant, where it has been assembling the iPhone SE since last year. Source say mass-production will begin in “the next couple of weeks.”
Apple has reportedly suspended production at one of its iPhone manufacturing plants in China as the result of the use of unauthorized components.
The story concerns a Wistron plant in Kunshan, China, where the iPhone 8 Plus is manufactured. Production has allegedly been suspended for two weeks, although Wistron insists that this is not true and that, “operations remain completely normal.”
Apple is set to make another major play for emerging markets next year with the rumored release of a new iPhone SE 2 handset.
According to a rumor out of Apple’s supply chain, the new iPhone SE 2 will be assembled by Taiwanese manufacturer Winstron, only all units will be put together in Bengaluru, India.
Apple manufacturer Wistron reportedly wants to expand its iPhone SE manufacturing in India. The company is currently scouting for 100 acres of land to help it do so.
Wistron has quietly shortlisted several possible locations in Bangalore for its new facility, including one close to the nearby airport. In addition to Apple, the new facility may also be used to supply other brands.
