A new supply chain report has revealed that Apple has already started trial production of its next flagship iPhone, the iPhone 15, through its leading supplier Foxconn in China.
Economic Daily News reports today (translated) that Apple's main supplier "began to enter the high-end iPhone 15 new machine trial production introduction service (NPI), warming up for mass production" recently, "revealing that Apple is still highly dependent" on Foxconn, which is the largest iPhone manufacturer in its supply chain. The phase is referred to as NPI or "new product introduction".
One significant change coming to the creation of Apple's next best iPhone this year will be the timescale for manufacturing in India. The iPhone 15 will begin being made in India just a few weeks after production starts in mainland China. For the iPhone 14, that gap was around two months and has been six to nine months in previous years. The iPhone 12 was the first flagship iPhone to be made outside of China.
Apple and its supply partners have been heavily investing in manufacturing in India to reduce reliance on China, driven in-part by generous government subsidies.
iPhone 15, coming soon
The report says that, according to sources, the iPhone 15 Pro may be called the iPhone 15 Ultra as previously rumored. However, EDN says this hasn't been decided.
The report confirms that Foxconn has been the NPI manufacturer since the advent of the iPhone, which was unveiled by Steve Jobs 16 years ago today.
According to the most recent report, Apple's iPhone 15 will feature the same size configurations as the iPhone 14. The Dynamic Island is reportedly coming to all four models, and a titanium frame will replace stainless steel on the Pro, along with haptic volume buttons.
The biggest design change is rumored to be USB-C. Apple will replace the Lightning port this year in order to comply with new EU legislation. It'll likely come with a cable or adapter, but long-term you're going to have to replace all of your current iPhone accessories if you want a totally seamless experience!
Apple had previously been tipped to release a new iPhone SE either in 2023 or 2024, however, reports indicate the iPhone SE may have been canceled.
