Apple and its iPhones have slowly been taking over the Indian market, and while only a very small percentage use the iOS packed devices, the Cupertino tech giant has been expanding its presence in the market. From the launch of an online store to assembling select iPhone models in the country, Apple is trying to make good on the potential that India’s large population brings. Today, the company has announced that it will start manufacturing iPhone 12 in India, with Foxconn taking the charge of the manufacturing process.
“Apple is dedicated to making the best products and services in the world to delight our customers. We are proud to be starting production of iPhone 12 in India for our local customers,” said an Apple spokesperson in India in a statement.
However, apart from the standard iPhone 12 model, no other version of the device (iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max) will be assembled in the region.
This comes as India continues to attract smartphone manufacturers around the world, including Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, and many more. The Indian government has been offering tax benefits to firms that locally produce in India, and worsening ties between China and the US have forced many smartphone manufacturers to rethink their supply chains (which are still dominated by China).
Thus, Apple has been trying to shift a big part of its production to India- a practice that started when it began assembling select iPhones in the country back in 2017. Over the years, it added other models to its production chain in India-including the iPhone 11. Moreover, the launch of an online store, as well as plans to set up an offline retail presence, have been working wonders for the tech giant, as it is witnessing numbers balloon up in the region.
However, the company has also witnessed some setbacks in the region, the most notable of which was last year’s debacle at a Wistron facility in Kolar after workers attacked the facility as they demanded wages to be paid along with overtime allowances. The company put Wistron on probation after the incident.
With all this said, it’s still doubtful that the move will help lower the price of iPhone 12 in India. Back when Apple had announced that it would start manufacturing iPhone 11 in the country, many had expected some sort of relief in the price department, but nothing of the sort ever surfaced. Thus, there’s a high chance that iPhone 12 will follow the same route.
