We’re just a few weeks away from the launch of this year’s iPhone lineup, and a new report says that iPhone 15 production is underway in India, as well as China.
However, one big question remains: Will Apple succeed in simultaneously shipping launch iPhones from both countries?
Apple’s goal for iPhone 15 production
Historically, all iPhone production took place in China. Apple has gradually been shifting more and more iPhone assembly to India, setting itself two key goals along the way.
First, it wanted to expand Indian iPhone production from older and less-sophisticated models to the very latest flagship Pro models. That aim was achieved last year, when iPhone 14 production began in India within weeks of the same in China.
Second, for iPhone 15 production, Apple wanted assembly to begin simultaneously in both countries – for the first time ever, putting India on a par with China. More specifically, it wants iPhone 15 models to begin shipping from both countries at the same time.
iPhone 15 assembly underway in India
Bloomberg reports that mass production of iPhone 15 models is now underway in India, though it’s unclear whether or not these models will begin shipping at the same time as those from China.
Before the iPhone 14, Apple had only a sliver of its iPhone assembly in India, which lagged China output by six to nine months. That delay was drastically reduced last year, and Apple produced 7% of its iPhones in India at the end of March. The goal this year is to move closer to parity on shipment timing from India and China, though suppliers are not yet certain they will achieve it
One issue is the supply of components. As we’ve noted in the past, Apple relies on a huge network of suppliers and sub-contractors, some of which may make just a single tiny component. The majority of them are based in Shenzhen and its immediate surrounds, so the logistics of bringing everything together in one place for assembly are straightforward.
For India, almost all of these components have to be imported, and today’s report says that this is the biggest question mark surrounding local production volumes.
The scale of India production for the iPhone 15 will depend on the ready availability of components, which are largely imported, and the smooth ramp-up of production lines at the Foxconn factory outside Chennai.
So far, only Foxconn has begun iPhone 15 production, with Pegatron and Tata (which took over when Wistron quit) expected to do so “soon.”
It was recently reported that Apple has played a key role in the remarkable success of the Made in India initiative.
Photo: Victor Serban/Unsplash
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