- For the first time ever, Apple is all set to manufacture the high-end iPhone 16 Pro models in India.
- Foxconn Technology Group will begin assembling the flagship iPhone 16 Pro models at its factory in Tamil Nadu.
- Local assembly will lead to a price cut of up to 10% as per the report.
We are less than a month away from Apple’s biggest event of the year, and details have been surfacing more than ever. The Cupertino tech giant is all set to launch its iPhone 16 series in a few weeks, with some leaks claiming a September 10 release. After assembling the iPhone 15 in India last year, Apple is all set to manufacture the high-end iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max in India for the first time ever. This move is a significant step in Apple’s efforts to diversify production beyond China amid escalating tensions between the US and the Asian country.
India has become one of the most growing markets for Apple in recent times. Also, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has introduced financial incentives to boost high-end manufacturing. So, it makes all the sense for Apple to manufacture its latest high-end iPhones in the country.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple’s longstanding manufacturing partner, Foxconn Technology Group will begin assembling the flagship iPhone 16 Pro models at its factory in Tamil Nadu. Foxconn has started training thousands of its workers at the factory and will start assembling these high-end devices in India post the global launch this fall. While Foxconn will lead the iPhone 16 Pro production in India, Apple’s other Indian partners like Pegatron’s local unit and the Tata Group may also start assembling these high-end iPhones later.
Thanks to the local assembly line, we might also see Apple cutting down the prices of the iPhone 16 Pro & iPhone 16 Max by 10%. The current iPhone 15 Pro models are imported, so there’s an import duty from the Indian government, which makes the phones more pricier. However, Mark Gurman believes that expensive component imports and local taxes will still make the iPhone 16 Pro models pricier than some other regions around the world.
With no major improvement on the horizon, Apple will try to push the sales of the iPhone 16 series solely on the basis of Apple Intelligence. iPhone 16 will be the first non-pro iPhone to support Apple Intelligence. It is expected that Apple will keep the pricing of the iPhone 16 series same as the last year. So, with a 10% price cut, we can expect the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max to be priced at Rs 1,20,500 and Rs 1,44,000 respectively. We already have some predictions for the iPhone 16 price on the basis of leaks.
The report also suggests that most of the India-made iPhone 16 Pro models will be exported to the US, Europe, and the Middle East. Compared to the standard iPhone models, the demand for the higher-end models is relatively low in India.
Bloomberg’s reports also stated that Apple assembled iPhones worth $14 billion in India during the fiscal year ending March 2024, and this accounts for approximately 14% of Apple’s global output.
In 2021, Apple began manufacturing the budget-friendly iPhone SE in India. Last year, the company began the production of non-pro variants with the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus. Now, with the manufacturing of iPhone 16 Pro models in India, the Cupertino tech giant might aim to increase the share of Indian produce in its global output by up to 25% over the next 3 to 4 years. Since the giant will assemble the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max in India, Apple partners should be able to fulfil the local demands by the end of the year.
