Apple Ramping Up iPhone Production in India to Reduce Dependency on China: Report

The iPhone 12 series is said to start manufacturing in India within this quarter.

By Jagmeet Singh | Updated: 27 January 2021 17:36 IST

Apple Ramping Up iPhone Production in India to Reduce Dependency on China: Report

Photo Credit: Apple

iPhone 12 series could soon be made in India

Highlights

Apple is reportedly ramping up iPhone production in India
New iPad production facility is said to launch in Vietnam this year
Apple plans to reduce its reliance on China

Apple is ramping up the production of iPhone models in India as it plans to reduce its reliance on China, according to a report. The Cupertino giant is also said to start producing the iPhone 12 series locally. Alongside India, Apple is said to be increasing the production capacity of its iPhone and iPad lineups in Vietnam. The report claims that Apple will also be increasing the production of smart speakers, headphones, and computers in Southeast Asia.

Citing people familiar with the development, Nikkei Asia reports that Apple is increasing iPhone production in India with plans to start producing the latest iPhone 12 series locally as early as this quarter. The company was earlier said to start producing the iPhone 12 in the country sometime in the middle of next year. The production could take place at Wistron's Karnataka facility.

In addition to India, Apple is said to shift iPad manufacturing from China to Vietnam, with the production planned to begin from the middle of this year. The company is also reportedly mobilising its suppliers to expand production of the HomePod mini in the Vietnamese market. Apple has already increased the local production of AirPods models, according to the report.

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Apple is also said to have relocated some production of the Mac mini to Malaysia. It is said to move a part of the MacBook production to Vietnam later this year.

Late last year, Apple supplier Foxconn invested $270 million (approximately Rs. 1,969 crores) in Vietnam to set up a subsidiary in the country. Dongguan, Guangdong-based Luxshare Precision Industry is also reportedly ramping up its existing capacity in Vietnam for the HomePod mini. The company is already a key supplier for AirPods and is one of the new assemblers of the iPhone.

Apple didn't comment on the reported details.

In the recent past, Apple took several steps to reduce its dependency on China and diversify its production. The company started manufacturing the iPhone 11 in India in July last year. Supplier Wistron had also reportedly started manufacturing the iPhone SE (2020) in the country.

Alongside Wistron, Foxconn and Pegatron — two key suppliers of Apple devices — have showed interest in producing the iPhone in the Indian market. All three of them had applied for a $6.64 billion (roughly Rs. 48,409 crores) scheme under the government's product-linked incentive (PLI) plan.

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iPhone 12 mini

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Very good build quality
Dolby Vision HDR video recording
Excellent cameras
Smooth performance in everyday use
Light and convenient

Bad
Below-average battery life
Gets warm when stressed

Read detailed Apple iPhone 12 mini review

Display 5.40-inch

Processor Apple A14 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 4GB

Storage 64GB

OS iOS 14

Resolution 1080x2340 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

iPhone 12

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Very good build quality
Dolby Vision HDR video recording
Excellent cameras
Smooth performance in everyday use

Bad
Battery life could be better
Gets warm when stressed

Read detailed Apple iPhone 12 review

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A14 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

Storage 64GB

OS iOS 14

Resolution 1170x2532 pixels

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iPhone 12 Pro

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Solid build quality
Excellent display
Dolby Vision video recording
Snappy overall performance
All-day battery life

Bad
Heats up when gaming
Not differentiated much from iPhone 12
Not great value

Read detailed Apple iPhone 12 Pro review

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A14 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

Storage 64GB

OS iOS 14

Resolution 1170x2532 pixels

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iPhone 12 Pro Max

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Excellent build quality
Immersive display
Very good battery life
Versatile cameras
Speedy performance

Bad
Can be uncomfortable to hold
Heats up when gaming
Very expensive

Read detailed Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max review

Display 6.70-inch

Processor Apple A14 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

Storage 128GB

OS iOS 14

Resolution 1284x2778 pixels

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Apple HomePod mini

REVIEW
KEY SPECS

Design
Smart Features
Audio Quality
Value For Money

Good
Looks great 
Clean, detailed sound 
Excellent soundstage 
Works very well within the Apple ecosystem

Bad
Some connectivity issues with stereo pairing 
Limited smart capabilities

Read detailed Apple HomePod mini review

Model HomePod mini

Touchpad Yes

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