Initial production of the low-end iPhone 17 models, according to senior analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF Securities International, will begin in India during the second half of 2025. This, according to Kuo, will be the first time that Apple will begin the so-called NPI (New Product Introduction) phase outside of China
Apple has reportedly decided to move the initial production of the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Plus directly to India as they will have a “lower difficulty” design that will minimize assembly risks.
Apple has been producing both iPhones and other older devices in India for several years now in an attempt to move more of its production outside of China. Year after year, the Cupertino company has progressively begun to attribute more and more responsibilities to factories in India.
With the iPhone 14, for example, production in the country began just a few weeks after its launch in September last year. With the iPhone 15, on the other hand, production started even earlier than in 2022 although mass production was still started earlier in China.
For iPhone production in India, Apple partners with Pegatron, the Tata Group (which recently acquired Wallron’s manufacturing facilities for $125 million) and Foxconn, which handles 75 to 80 percent of the device’s assembly. The Taiwansense company has invested over $500 million in India in recent years to increase its production capacity.
Another long-standing Apple partner, Luxshare, has also significantly expanded its presence in India in recent years by doubling iPhone production in 2022. Luxshare will also be one of the assemblers of the Vision Pro.
According to Kuo, 12 to 14 percent of global iPhone shipments will be made from India. This percentage is expected to rise to 20-25% by 2024. The increase in production in India, in addition to allowing Apple to progressively achieve its goal of reducing dependence on China, will also offer it the opportunity to strengthen its relationship with the government of India, a very important market given the growing demand for its products.
In recent months, the Indian government, after threatening to limit imports made by Apple and other companies, has launched a new program with the aim of reducing the trade deficit with China and ensuring that only reliable hardware and systems are imported into the country.
