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Apple to start making premium iPhone models in India: report
iPhone contract manufacturer Foxconn Technology Group has begun training workers at its factory in Tamil Nadu, Bloomberg reported
Apple Inc. will begin making the pricier iPhone Pro and Pro Max models in India from this year, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the production plans.
iPhone contract manufacturer Foxconn Technology Group has begun training workers at its factory in Tamil Nadu as it rushes to produce the yet-to-be-released iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max as close to the global debut as possible, the report said.
Apple, which makes most of its iPhones in China, is gradually diversifying its production to reduce risks amid growing tensions between Beijing and Washington.
Last fiscal year, the technology giant assembled $14 billion of iPhones in India, or about 14% of its global production
Like last year, Apple may make the made-in-India standard iPhone 16 model available in the country on the same day they begin selling across the world, the report added.
Apple is likely to export the bulk of the made-in-India Pro and Pro Max devices to Europe, the Middle East and the US as the demand for premium models is relatively lower in India, though the upcoming holiday season could boost sales.
The company earns about half its global revenue from the iPhone, whose sales have taken a beating in recent quarters.
During his week-long India visit this month, Foxconn chairman Young Liu had outlined the company’s plans to move beyond smartphone manufacturing and enter EVs, energy, digital health, township development.
As the demand for premium iPhone models is relatively lower in India, Apple is likely to export the bulk of the made-in-India Pro and Pro Max devices to Europe, the Middle East and the US, though the coming holiday season may boost sales.
The company earns about half its global revenue from iPhone sales, which have taken a beating in recent quarters.
The new iPhone 16 series is likely to sport better cameras, processors, displays, and run Apple Intelligence: the company’s suite of AI tools.
A change probably available in only Pro models is slightly bigger screens, Bloomberg reported earlier this month. The regular Pro will move to 6.3 inches from 6.1, while the Pro Max will now approach 6.9 inches, an increase from 6.7.
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