According to a J.P. Morgan report from September 2022 and a recent South China Morning Post article, Apple may significantly increase the percentage of iPhone production in India by 2025 and 2027, respectively.
The company has reportedly reduced orders for iPhone components from Chinese suppliers, which has affected its earnings estimates and stock prices. This is because China, which is currently the biggest producer of iPhones at the moment, is still struggling with production issues.
COVID-19-related lockdowns are forcing production facilities in China to either shut down completely or work at half of their full capacity. Affected factories include a major iPhone parts manufacturer Foxconn as well as other Chinese names.
Currently, India accounts for only 5% of iPhone production, but there have been plans to assemble newer models, such as the iPhone 14, shortly after production began in China.
There are also rumors that Apple will simultaneously produce the iPhone 15 series in both China and India. Additionally, Apple is diversifying the production of its other products, like AirPods and MacBooks, away from China and towards Vietnam as well as other regions.
The iPhone 15 series is expected to become official around September – October this year. Rumor has it that the lineup will include the same models as last year, namely a vanilla model, a Plus model, and the usual Pro and Pro Max siblings.
However, reports have also said that the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are going to be cheaper than their predecessor since these models are not selling as well as the Pro duo. This might have to do with vanilla and Plus phones not featuring as many upgrades as their higher-end variants.
Hence, the iPhone 15 may be a tad bit cheaper, undercutting its rival flagships in late 2023.
