Prioritizing the new growing market in Asia, global technology major Apple is all set to start manufacturing the iPhone 14 in India. This comes about two months after the product's initial release out of China showing a narrowing gap between the two countries.
According to reports, the company has been working with suppliers to ramp up manufacturing in India and shorten the lag in production of the new iPhone from the typical six to nine months for previous launches. Apple, which long made most of its iPhones in China, is seeking alternatives as Xi Jinping's administration clashes with the US government and lockdowns across the country have disrupted economic activity.
Many global analysts believe that they anticipate Apple to ship the next iPhone from both countries at roughly the same time, which would have been a significant benchmark in Apple's efforts to diversify its supply chain and build redundancy.
Foxconn Technology Group, the primary manufacturer of iPhones, studied the process of shipping components from China and assembling the iPhone 14 device at its plant outside Chennai.
The first iPhone 14s from India are likely to be finished in late October or November, following the initial September release. An ambitious target would be the Diwali festival that begins October 24.
Matching China's pace of iPhone production would have marked a major milestone for India, which has been touting its attractiveness as an alternative at a time when rolling Covid lockdowns and US sanctions jeopardize China's position as a factory to the world.
Assembling iPhones often entails coordination between hundreds of suppliers and meeting Apple's infamously tight deadlines and quality controls.
Some people within Apple and Foxconn hoped to begin simultaneous production in India this year. To ensure a smooth launch, Apple wanted to focus on getting the China operations up to speed first and then work out the India production.
