Apple’s key partner, Foxconn, has iPhone production lines in a few other places around the world outside of China, such as Brazil and India. However, China’s operations remain the largest when it comes to global iPhone shipments. This time, however, it looks like Apple will start production of the iPhone 14 simultaneously in India and China.
The report comes from a reliable analyst Ming Chi Kuo, which revealed that at least one of the new iPhone 14 models will be produced in India at the same time as China. If true, this will be the first time production of a next-gen iPhone will begin in another country simultaneously with China.
As Kuo noted, under normal situations, production of a new iPhone outside of China usually takes a few months to start. For example, Foxconn started assembling the iPhone 13 in India in April this year, while production in Brazil started a few weeks later.
Of course, iPhone production in other countries is not meant to meet global demand but to serve local markets. Kuo says iPhone 14 production capacity in India won’t be enough to fill the void caused by China’s production issues in the near term, but it’s still a “significant milestone for Apple” when it comes to is to expand iPhone production to other places.
The analyst points out that Apple’s decision to ramp up iPhone 14 production in India is due to geopolitical impacts on the company’s supply chain.
Apple is looking for alternatives to China
As reported earlier today, Apple has warned its suppliers of possible “revenge” by the Chinese government against the United States after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s controversial visit to Taiwan. Pelosi has had meetings with some of Apple’s suppliers such as chipmaker TSMC and Taiwanese assembler Pegatron. Since then, there have been reports of China blocking shipments from these companies.
At the same time, production of the iPhone 14 line has also experienced delays due to component shortages and some minor quality issues. By increasing iPhone production in India and potentially Brazil as well, Apple may be able to slowly reduce its dependence on China, although this will be quite difficult to achieve.
Yet despite all these setbacks, analysts still believe that Apple will announce the new iPhones next month. According to some rumors, the company will introduce the next generation of Apple Watch for the first time with a Pro model and a redesigned entry-level iPad with USB-C and 5G port.
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