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Apple is building its latest smartphone, the iPhone 14, in India, rather than China. The question that arises from Apple’s decision is, is this the beginning of a trend for foreign manufacturers in China? John Reed reports in the Financial Times on Apple’s decision, writing:
Apple has begun producing its iPhone 14 model in southern India less than a month after it was launched, as the company works to diversify its supply chains out of China and expand production in India.
“We’re excited to be manufacturing iPhone 14 in India,” the company said in a statement on Monday. Apple’s Taiwanese contract manufacturers already assemble some of the company’s existing models in India.
Apple, which makes most of its iPhones in China, has been shifting some of its production outside the country as geopolitical tension rises between Washington and Beijing. China’s harsh coronavirus pandemic policies with sweeping lockdowns have also disrupted business.
The increased production in India is a win for prime minister Narendra Modi’s government, which has been working to boost domestic manufacturing and exports through its “Make in India” campaign.
Two people with knowledge of Apple’s plans said the phone would be assembled by Foxconn Technology Group and Pegatron, which have plants in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, as well as Wistron, which has a factory in neighbouring Karnataka.
One of the people said that Foxconn had begun shipping the iPhone 14 last Friday, and that the larger iPhone 14 Plus would be shipped by Pegatron and Wistron by the end of October.
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