In India, Apple is going to manufacture its newest iPhone offering, iPhone 14 according to the US-based tech giant. The made-in India iPhone 14 will reach local customers in a few days. These phones will be sold in the domestic markets and will be exported.
These phones will be shipped from Foxconn's facility in Chennai s Sriperumbudur. Foxconn is the largest contract electronics manufacturer in the world and a major iPhone assembler.
Apple told PTI in a statement: "We are excited to be manufacturing iPhone 14 in India. The new iPhone 14 lineup introduces new technologies and important safety capabilities. In order to support renewable energy and training, Apple has expanded its manufacturing plans in India, including setting up the App Design and Development Accelerator in Bengaluru.
According to a report by JP Morgan, Apple is likely to move 5 per cent of iPhone 14 production to India by the end of 2022 and reach 25 per cent by the year 2025. The JP Morgan report 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.
The iPhone 14 series, comprising iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, was launched in India on September 7. The base model has 128 GB variant and the starting price is Rs 79,000. The two other 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.