Apple to Develop iPhone 17 in India by 2024, Up Proportion of Locally Made Phones to 25 Percent: Ming-Chi Kuo

Apple's iPhone 17 is expected to be the first model to be developed outside China

Written by David Delima, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 2 November 2023 09:53 IST

Apple to Develop iPhone 17 in India by 2024, Up Proportion of Locally Made Phones to 25 Percent: Ming-Chi Kuo

Apple's latest iPhone 15 model is also manufactured in India

Highlights

iPhone 17 is expected to be developed in India starting next year
The iPhone maker is also expected to scale down production in China
Apple is set to increase production of iPhone models in India in 2024

Apple is planning to increase the proportion of iPhone units produced in India, according to details shared by TF Securities International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In a new blog post on Thursday, the analyst states that the Cupertino company is also working on developing the iPhone 17 — expected to launch in global markets in 2025 — in India starting in the second half of next year. Meanwhile, the company's production scale in two regions in China is expected to decline considerably in 2024.

In a Medium post, Kuo stated that Apple assembler Foxconn, which currently owns nearly 80 percent of the production lines for iPhone models in India, is expected to scale down its production in China next year by up to 45 percent and 85 percent in Zhengzhou and Taiyuan, respectively. Meanwhile, up to 14 percent of global iPhone units that are shipped globally — including the iPhone 15 — are currently produced in India — this number is expected to rise to between 20 percent and 25 percent by 2024, according to the analyst.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 is expected to be the first model to be developed outside China, according to Kuo. The company will start the new product introduction (NPI) process for the iPhone 17 in India, during the second half of 2024. In order to minimise design risk, the company has picked the standard model to be developed outside China, and the phone is expected to make its debut in global markets in the second half of 2025.

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Last week, Taiwan's Wistron granted approval for the sale of its 100 percent indirect stake in Wistron InfoComm Manufacturing to Tata Electronics, for approximately $125 million (roughly Rs. 1,040 crore). Tata's acquisition of Wistron's production lines will make it the first Indian firm to assemble Apple's iPhone models in the country.

Kuo points out that the iPhone maker's move to make Tata one of its smartphone assemblers in India could help bolster the company's relationship with the government of India, and is "critical" to the company's growth over the next 10 years, according to Kuo. Tata will join Pegatron and Foxconn in producing currently supported iPhone units in the country.

Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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iPhone 15

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Big upgrades over the 14
Excellent ergonomics, build quality
Very good all-round performance
Apple ecosystem benefits

Bad
Relatively slow charging
Expensive
Still a 60Hz display

Read detailed Apple iPhone 15 review

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A16 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 6GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

OS iOS 17

Resolution 1179x2556 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

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Further reading: Apple, Foxconn, iPhone 17, Wistron, Tata, iPhone assembly, iPhone manufacturing

David Delima

Email David Delima

As a writer on technology with Gadgets 360, David Delima is interested in open-source technology, cybersecurity, consumer privacy, and loves to read and write about how the Internet works. David can be contacted via email at DavidD@ndtv.com, on Twitter at @DxDavey, and Mastodon at mstdn.social/@delima. More