With iPhone 14, Apple plans to cut production lag between China, India

By Gargi Chaudhry | First Published Aug 23, 2022, 1:55 PM IST

Apple has been working with suppliers to ramp up manufacturing in India and shorten the lag in production of the new iPhone --- iPhone 14 series --- from the typical six to nine months for previous launches, according to various reports.

Apple Inc. plans to begin manufacturing the iPhone 14 in India about two months after the product's initial release out of China, narrowing the gap between the two countries but not closing it completely as some had anticipated.

According to various media reports, the firm has been collaborating with suppliers to increase manufacture in India and reduce the customary six to nine-month production delay for new iPhone releases. Due to tensions with the US government and nationwide lockdowns imposed by Xi Jinping's administration, which have hindered economic activity, Apple, which has historically produced the majority of its iPhones in China, is looking for alternatives.

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The new iPhone is expected to ship from both nations at about the same time, according to analysts like Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities Group. This would have been a significant milestone for Apple's attempts to diversify its supply chain and increase redundancy.

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According to the sources, who declined to be named because the work is classified, Foxconn Technology Group, the main producer of iPhones, looked into the logistics of importing parts from China and constructing the iPhone 14 handset at its facility outside of Chennai in southern India.

After the initial release in September, they predicted that the first iPhone 14s from India will likely be ready in late October or early November. The second-largest smartphone market in the world, India, has begun receiving some iPhone manufacture from Apple. The company also plans to produce iPad tablets in India.

Contract manufacturers who supply American companies are increasingly relying on Mexico, Vietnam, and other nations in addition to China as they aim to diversify their manufacturing away from China.

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