According to a report by Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple’s supplier Foxconn is initiating the production of the iPhone 15 in India as part of the company’s ongoing strategy to expand its manufacturing operations beyond China.
Sources, who chose to remain unnamed, have informed Bloomberg that Foxconn’s Sriperumbudur facility is preparing to distribute the new phones just weeks after their commencement of shipment from factories situated in China.
In light of the escalating tension between the U.S. and China, Apple has been striving to broaden its supply chain. Following a meeting with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House earlier this year, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook emphasized the substantial potential presented by India, stating to CNBC that the country represents a significant opportunity.
Against a backdrop of bipartisan skepticism towards the Chinese government in the U.S., the Biden administration has undertaken various measures to curtail the transfer of critical technologies and U.S. investments into China. In a reciprocal move, China has also imposed limitations on the sale of certain U.S. semiconductors.
In the most recent period, Apple has intensified its efforts in iPhone production within India, culminating in the assembly of over $7 billion worth of iPhones in the previous fiscal year, as reported by Bloomberg earlier. The source indicated in April that approximately 7% of Apple’s iPhones are currently manufactured in India. Preceding this, there was a delay of six to nine months in iPhone assembly between India and China, as reported by Bloomberg. However, this gap has substantially diminished.
As per tradition, Apple typically unveils its fresh array of iPhones during its annual September event. Insights from Bloomberg suggest that this year’s iteration is anticipated to showcase substantial enhancements to the camera systems and an upgraded processor for the Pro models.
According to the report, both Pegatron and a Wistron facility, which the Tata Group is in the process of acquiring, are set to commence iPhone 15 assembly in India. While Pegatron refrained from providing a comment, the other companies mentioned in this piece did not promptly respond to comment requests.
