The iPhone 14 will be produced by Apple in India beginning around two months after the product’s first introduction in China, reducing the gap between the two nations but not completely closing it as some had anticipated.
According to those with knowledge of the situation, the firm is coordinating with suppliers to increase production in India and reduce the customary six to nine-month manufacturing backlog for new iPhone releases.
As Xi Jinping’s administration contends with the US government and enforces statewide lockdowns that have hindered economic activity, Apple, which has historically produced the majority of its iPhones in China, is searching for alternatives.
The next iPhone is anticipated to ship from both nations at around the same time, according to analysts like Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities Group.
This would be a significant milestone for Apple’s attempts to diversify its supply chain and increase redundancy.
A simultaneous launch in China and India this year was ultimately ruled out by Apple and Foxconn as being unfeasible.
Major iPhone manufacturer Foxconn Technology Group has researched the logistics of transporting parts from China and assembling the iPhone 14 at its facility outside of Chennai, in southern India, according to the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the work is private.
This includes figuring out how to uphold Apple’s strict privacy policies.
Though it remains a long-term objective, Apple and Foxconn eventually decided that a simultaneous launch in China and India this year was unfeasible.
After an initial release in September, the first iPhone 14s from India are anticipated to be finished in late October or November, according to them.
One participant said that the Diwali celebration, which starts on October 24, would be a lofty goal.
India has been promoting its attractiveness as a substitute at a time when prolonged Covid lockdowns and US sanctions threaten China’s status as the world’s factory.
Matching China’s iPhone manufacturing speed would be a significant milestone for India.
Meeting Apple’s notoriously strict schedules and quality requirements while collaborating with hundreds of vendors is often required while assembling iPhones.
Although there was never a formal plan, several Foxconn and Apple personnel had anticipated to begin manufacturing in India simultaneously this year.
According to one of the persons, Apple intended to prioritise setting up operations in China before establishing manufacturing in India in order to assure a seamless launch.
In 2017, Apple’s partners started producing iPhones in India, beginning a multi-year push to increase production capacity in the nation.
The 1.4 billion-person nation has a prospective consumer market in addition to serving as a backup for current operations, and the Modi government has provided financial incentives for technology manufacture via its Make in India initiative.
The lack of transparency is one of the issues with reducing India’s output cap.
Apple makes every effort to maintain the privacy of information on upcoming products, and it would be difficult to impose the same stringent regulations in another nation.
The two claim that local administrators in India have carefully examined the location of one of Foxconn’s several manufacturing lines, isolated employees, and examined every potential security risk around the item.
One of the persons said it would be difficult to duplicate the stringent security measures and rigorous isolation of its sites in China up to this point.
Another possible weakness to product confidentiality is the frequent opening of shipments by Indian customs authorities to verify that imported components match their claims.
Supply chain problems would have prevented a simultaneous launch, even if Apple and Foxconn had planned one.
Numerous iPhone components come from China, but the nation has had waves of lockdowns in the past, making it more difficult to get parts there.
The stringent control methods that Apple demands of suppliers have not been readily embraced by India’s workers or plants.
In two high-profile cases since Apple started making iPhones in India via contract manufacturers Foxconn and Wistron five years ago, employees have resisted over pay and food quality.
