To diversify the supply chain out of China and reduce its reliance on the Asian country, Apple is reportedly planning to make an iPhone Pro outside there for the first time. According to MoneyControl, Cupertino will start manufacturing the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max in India right after their release.
“Every year, Apple seeks to deepen its manufacturing capabilities with partners in India. Production of Pro models is something that has been under consideration for the last couple of years. This year, Apple will manufacture the Pro and Pro Max models in India to make sure the India-assembled iPhone 16 Pro models are available in the country after the launch,” a source familiar with the matter told Moneycontrol.
Previously, BGR reported that Apple had an ambitious goal to produce one in every four iPhones in India by 2026. As the country hasn’t experienced many issues producing iPhone 15 models, Apple might have decided to give it a chance to make the upcoming iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
According to the publication, Foxconn’s facility in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, will soon start the pro models’ NPI process and enter the mass production stage once the iPhone 16 models are released.
Although Apple’s relationship with China will continue for years, Cupertino is trying to diversify its supply chain for two reasons: The ongoing geopolitical tension between the US and China, and the issue of solely relying on one region.
With the iPhone 14 Pro release, the largest iPhone factory in China not only went into lockdown mode due to rising cases of COVID-19 but also, right after that, a riot shut the facility. With that, Apple couldn’t deliver its latest iPhones in time, and many users could only get them after the holiday season.
After that, Apple is trying to prevent something similar from happening again at all costs. Below, you can learn more about the upcoming iPhone 16 models.
