Apple has started assembling the iPhone 14 models in India as the US tech giant is slowly shifting production away from China.
“The new iPhone 14 lineup introduces groundbreaking new technologies and important safety capabilities. We’re excited to be manufacturing iPhone 14 in India,” Apple said in a statement. Apple’s main iPhone assembler, Foxconn, is manufacturing the devices at its Sriperumbudur factory on the outskirts of Chennai in southern India.
Apple plans to begin manufacturing the iPhone 14 in India about two months after the initial release out of China. Apple unveiled its latest line-up of iPhones this month. The new phones iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will have improved cameras, faster processors and longer-lasting batteries at the same prices as last year’s models.
Why? Apple and other U.S. tech companies are shifting production away from China due to growing geopolitical tensions and pandemic-induced supply chain disruptions. In recent years, India has attracted investments from Foxconn and Wistron by offering lucrative incentives to make country a manufacturing hub.
India is the world’s second-largest smartphone market after China which has long been the world’s factory floor for high-tech electronics. JP Morgan analysts said Apple will move 5% of global iPhone 14 production to India by late 2022, and expand its manufacturing capacity to produce 25% of all iPhones by 2025 in the country, Reuters reported. Meanwhile, Vietnam will account for 20% of all iPad and Apple Watch productions, 5% of MacBook and 65% of AirPods by 2025.
Brief: Apple is assembling its flagship iPhone 14 in India as the U.S. technology giant looks to shift some production away from China.
