Apple maker Foxconn has started building iPhone 11 units at a facility near Chennai in India, TechCrunch reported, the first time that Apple makes one of its top-notch phones in there.
Apple has made lower-priced iPhone models in India since 2017, and has reportedly been considering moving production of its more premium models there for some time.
India was the second largest smartphone market in the world in 2019, ahead of the US and second only to China. According to TechCrunchApple plans to increase production in India, which in turn would reduce how much it depends on China, where most of its iPhones are currently manufactured. And although Apple leads the premium smartphone market in India, it only has a 1 percent share of the total smartphone market there. The price of the iPhone puts it out of reach for many consumers in India.
By selling locally made devices in India, Apple could avoid a 20 percent import tariff that India imposes on foreign-made electronic products. It is unclear whether the devices are manufactured for sale only within India or for the broader global market.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday.
