India

Opening Indian Apple Stores has been high up Tim Cook’s to-do list since at least 2015, and after a huge number of challenges, setbacks, and delays, it looks like we will now finally see at least two major stores open this quarter. Hiring of retail staff is underway, with some applicants already announcing their successful appointments.

The step is a hugely important one for Apple, as it seeks to grow its business in a country whose population now rivals that of China, and which has a rapidly growing middle class …

Expansion of iPhone production in India is one of the key ways in which Apple is trying to reduce its dependence on China. But a report suggests that small farmers and local officials could make life difficult for the Cupertino company.

Specifically, it suggests that buying the land required for additional Apple assembly plants could prove tricky …

The iPhone production crisis in China has led Foxconn to announce plans to quadruple its workforce in India. The move will not, however, solve the immediate problem.

While Apple and its suppliers have been working for years on reducing the company’s dependence on China as a manufacturing hub, progress has been painfully slow – especially for the iPhone …

Apple is expected to shift up to 25% of its iPhone production to India by as soon as 2025. Following up on iPhone 14 manufacturing kicking off in September by Foxconn in the country, Pegatron has become the second vendor to start making Apple’s latest smartphone in India.

A new report claims to reveal more about Apple’s medium-term plans to expand and “deepen” iPhone production in India as it works to reduce its reliance on China.

It follows and supports yesterday’s suggestion that enough iPhones for the entire US market could be made outside China within three to five years …

Some AirPods and Beats headphones are to be made in India for the first time, as Apple continues a gradual reduction of its dependence on China for product manufacturing.

AirPods production is predominantly split between Foxconn and Luxshare, and a report today says that Apple has instructed both companies to move some of their assembly work to India …

Global Positioning System, or GPS, is one of the most popular satellite-based navigation systems in the world. However, there are other technologies that provide precise location by satellite – and now India is trying to push NavIC, its own navigation system. However, Apple and other companies seem to be worried about this.

iPhone production in India will increase to around 25% of total global output by 2025, according to a new analyst report. The report suggests a similar percentage of other Apple products will be made outside China by the same year.

We’ve seen a number of signs recently that India is growing increasingly important to Apple as a second key manufacturing hub, as the company continues efforts to reduce its dependence on China …

Major VPN services have shut down service in India, as there is no way to comply with a new law without breaching their own privacy protection standards.

The law also applies to iCloud Private Relay, but Apple has not yet commented on its own plans …

Update: The gap between China and India is said to have closed from two months to six weeks. Kuo believes that iPhone 15 production next year will begin simultaneously in both countries.

There have been suggestions that iPhone 14 production would start simultaneously in China and India, significantly improving early availability of this year’s lineup. But a new report today said that Apple has had to abandon any hope of achieving this …

Apple’s key partner Foxconn has iPhone production lines in a few other places in the world outside of China, such as Brazil and India. However, China’s operations remain the most important when it comes to worldwide iPhone shipments. This time, however, it seems that Apple will begin production of the iPhone 14 simultaneously in India and China.

Customers in India are no longer able to use a debit or credit card for subscriptions and app purchases using their Apple ID. This means they can no longer purchase apps from the App Store, subscribe to Apple services, or buy any Apple media with credit or debit. 

iPhone production in India grew by 50% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2022, according to new market intelligence data. Sales within the country are also growing, despite the fact that average selling prices are increasing through the sale of more premium models.

While Apple initially limited Made in India iPhones to older models, the company confirmed earlier this month that the iPhone 13 has joined the lineup of locally produced devices …

The first Apple mangrove preservation project began in 2018, with the focus then on the role the saltwater trees play in decarbonization. The company has now extended this environmental work into India, this time stressing the additional part mangrove trees play in protecting coastal communities.

Apple has partnered with the Applied Environmental Research Foundation (AERF) to help local people transition their economy from one that destroys mangroves to one that is incentivized to protect them …

iPhone 13 production is expected to start in April at Foxconn’s plant in Chennai, India. This was originally scheduled to happen in January, but it was delayed after Apple placed the facility on probation following worker complaints about the conditions there.

It’s just one of a number of issues Apple has faced as it continues efforts to reduce its dependence on China …

A new report suggests that we’ve reached a turning point for Apple in India, as the company appears to have earned more smartphone revenue in the country than any other brand.

This is indeed quite a turnaround in just a few years. The company’s market share in 2018 was said to have been as low as 1% …

Update: As reported by Reuters, Foxconn India’s iPhone plant restarted production this Wednesday after three weeks closed. The publication notes that the factory reopened with one shift and 120 workers. Foxconn will take over two months for the plant to produce at full capacity again.

Late last year, 9to5Mac reported that Apple had ordered Foxconn in India to suspend iPhone production at a plant while placing the company on probation until it resolved problems with living conditions in Foxconn’s dormitories. Now, it appears the iPhone plant will reopen.

We’re today learning more about what prompted the Foxconn iPhone plant shutdown in southern India – and it makes for truly gruesome reading.

We learned yesterday that Apple ordered Foxconn to suspend production at the plant, and placed the company on probation, until it resolved problems with living conditions in the company dormitories. It’s only today, however, that we’re getting the full picture of just how appalling those conditions were …

iPhone production in India has again been disrupted as a result of worker complaints. Assembly was suspended at a Wistron plant last year following a riot over underpaid wages, and production has now been halted at a Foxconn plant after Apple upheld complaints about worker accommodation.

It is common in both India and China for seasonal iPhone workers to be recruited from considerable distances, and to live in company-supplied dormitories for the duration of their contract …