Apple may launch first ‘Made in India’ iPhone 16 Pro models
Apple is planning to manufacture iPhone 16 Pro models in India at launch, according to a report. The ‘Made in India’ handsets would go on sale on the first day of global sales. To realise this move, the iPhone maker is said to be working with existing iPhone manufacturers in the country. The development builds on earlier speculation that Apple was planning to manufacture iPhone batteries in India and had roped in local partners to set up production.
Made in India iPhone 16 Pro models
According to a report According to MoneyControl, Apple is planning to expand its iPhone manufacturing facilities – most of which are largely located in China with Taiwanese partners such as Foxconn, Pegatron and Wistron. Thanks to this initiative, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, which are speculated to launch later this year, could be the first ‘Pro’ iPhone models to be made in India.
Apple is reportedly considering the move to ensure that iPhone 16 Pro models are available in the country post-launch. Citing sources familiar with the matter, the report suggests that Foxconn, which has a manufacturing facility in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu, will initiate new product introduction (NPI) — a multi-step process that takes a product from an ideation stage to final production. The iPhone 16 Pro models will reportedly go into mass production once they are launched.
The Cupertino-based tech company has been slowly but steadily expanding its manufacturing facilities in the country — a move that started with the first-generation iPhone SE in 2017. In the years that followed, the model lineup expanded to include the standard iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models that are made in India. However, production of the aforementioned models began months after the products were first introduced in the market.
Apple changed that with its iPhone 15 and later the iPhone 15 Plus – both of which are manufactured in India. If Apple’s latest reported move comes to fruition, it will mark the first time Apple has started production of its ‘Pro’ iPhone models outside of China.
