Apple expected to manufacture and ship some iPhone 15 models from India at launch
India is expected to play a key role in the manufacturing of the iPhone 15, with a new report from Bloomberg claiming that Apple will ship some iPhone 15 models from India at launch for the first time, a move as part of a wider push to move production away from China.
According to the report, for the first time India may be responsible for producing the latest iPhone models from launch, a change from the current plan which sees the country responsible for producing only certain models and color options, many of which are not part of Apple’s current-generation lineup.
It has heavily been reported that Apple is ramping up its efforts to move more iPhone production out of China, with India and Vietnam being the two countries chosen to takeover the manufacturing and product assembly, with India expected to triple its production of iPhones over the next two years.
Apple currently has its top three manufacturing partners making smartphones in India. These are Wistron, Foxconn, and Pegatron. The company has slowly been expanding its manufacturing efforts in India over recent years, with the country assembling low quantities of the iPhone 14, as well as some older iPhone models, including the iPhone 13 and iPhone SE.
Reports have previously suggested that Apple is aiming to produce 25 percent of all iPhones in India by 2025, with trade tensions between the U.S. and China a key driving force between the move.
Despite the push, earlier this year it was reported that Apple was disappointed with the quality of iPhone production in India, with the Cupertino company hitting several roadblocks in scaling up iPhone production in the country, including quality issues that see 50 percent of casing rejected for not meeting quality standards.