Apple will reportedly manufacture the iPhone 16 Pro within weeks of its global launch at its manufacturing facilities in India. This will give the company’s manufacturing efforts a major push in the country.
So far, the Cupertino giant has only manufactured non-Pro iPhones in India.
Foxconn will soon assemble the iPhone 16 Pro in India
Apple has ramped up its manufacturing efforts in India after the COVID-19 pandemic. Working closely with its supply-chain partners, the company has set up multiple production facilities in the country to assemble iPhones. But its efforts so far have only focused on manufacturing the non-Pro models, as they are easier to assemble. India still lacks a supply chain as sophisticated as China, making it difficult for the company to assemble its cutting-edge devices.
However, if Bloomberg‘s August 20 report is anything to go by, Apple is set to turn things around. It claims Foxconn will assemble iPhone 16 Pro units in India within weeks of the global launch. Apparently, the company has already started training its workers at the Tamil Nadu factory for this.
Apple’s other partners, Tata and Pegatron, should follow soon after. Initially, the company aims to meet local demand with the Indian-manufactured units.
A Money Control report from late July first claimed that Apple wanted to assemble iPhone 16 Pro units locally in India.
iPhone 16 Pro could carry a lower price tag
Apple currently imports the Pro iPhone models in India. This subjects them to additional duties and taxes, making them more expensive. The iPhone 15 Pro costs Rs 1,29,800 ($1,622), while prices for the Pro Max variants start from Rs 1,54,000 ($1,900). Compared to the US, these prices are exorbitantly higher.
The report claims Apple could reduce the prices of the iPhone 16 Pro models by up to 10% thanks to local assembly. While the phones would still be among the most expensive smartphones sold in the country, it should still be a welcome improvement.
It should also help further fuel the country’s rapidly growing iPhone demand. Apple sales soared by 33% to an all-time high in India in FY 23-24, and they’re on track to set another record in the current year.