What you need to know
- Apple is said to be testing iPhone 13 production out of India.
- Foxconn's Chennai factory is expected to begin work in February.
- iPhone 13 handsets will be built for local and international markets.
Apple has reportedly begun a trial that will see iPhone 13 devices produced in India, with the devices expected to be sold in both the domestic market and internationally.
According to sources speaking with The Economic Times, a Foxconn plant near Chennai will be the one tasked with production from February.
Apple has started trial production of its flagship iPhone 13 in the Foxconn plant near Chennai as the US technology major readies to make almost all its top-selling smartphone models in the country, two industry executives said. The company expects to start commercial production of iPhone 13 in India for both the domestic market and exports by February, they said.
It's thought that Apple's move to manufacturing in India will help it to provide more inventory to international markets, with "around 20-30% of what is produced in India" normally exported rather than sold in the country.
Only the lower-end iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini devices will be produced in India, however — the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max flagship devices will continue to be built elsewhere. Both devices are the best iPhone offerings yet thanks to their impressive 120Hz ProMotion and improved camera capabilities. That will all change when iPhone 14 is inevitably announced around September time, 2022 of course.
Apple's iPhone 13 lineup has suffered from long delivery times since its launch but things have begun to improve recently with supply and demand finally finding some sort of equilibrium.
