US-based tech giant Apple will manufacture its newest iPhone offering – iPhone 14– in India. The made-in-India iPhone 14 will start reaching local customers in a few days. These phones will be sold in the domestic markets and will also be exported.
These phones will be shipped from Foxconn’s facility located in Chennai’s Sriperumbudur. Foxconn is the largest contract electronics manufacturer globally and a major iPhone assembler.
Apple told news agency PTI in a statement, “We’re excited to be manufacturing iPhone 14 in India.” It added, “The new iPhone 14 lineup introduces groundbreaking new technologies and important safety capabilities.”
In keeping with this goal, Apple has expanded its manufacturing plans in India including setting up App Design and Development Accelerator in Bengaluru and other programmes with local organisations to support renewable energy and training.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said during an earnings call in July that while the June quarter saw record growth in Americas, Europe and rest of Asia Pacific, it also saw near doubling of revenue in India and logged strong growth in markets like Brazil, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Meanwhile, a JP Morgan report on the same said that Apple "is likely to move about 5 per cent of iPhone 14 production to India from late 2022 and reach 25 per cent by 2025.” The JP Morgan report also attributed trade tensions between the US and China and the COVID-19 crisis to Apple focusing on manufacturing hubs other than China.
It added that due to COVID-19 risks in China and subsequent restrictions, countries like India, Vietnam and Thailand went on to become preferable locations away from China for Apple food chain vendors due to lower labour costs, skilled manpower support and appealing policies and government support.
About Apple iPhone 14
The iPhone 14 series comprising iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max was launched in India on September 7. The phones’ starting price is Rs 79,000 for the base model with 128 GB variant. The other two models with 256 GB and 512 GB come with a price tag of Rs 89,900 and Rs 1,09,900 respectively. The iPhone lineup is available on ecommerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, Croma and Reliance Digital.
(With agency inputs)
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