Apple to advance production of iPhone 14 in India to reduce dependence on China

China output gap expected to narrow to about two months

MADRID, 23 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The American technology giant Apple intends to advance the manufacturing of its new iPhone in India by several months compared to other previous models, according to 'The Wall Street Journal', in what is a sign that the Cupertino multinational wants to boost production outside of China, where Covid lockdowns and geopolitical tensions have increased risks.

In this way, Apple would be finalizing the preparations with several suppliers in India to accelerate the production process of the new device and thus shorten the typical lead time between when new devices are manufactured in China and when they are produced in India. people familiar with the matter told the newspaper.

In this sense, the iPhone 14 could be manufactured in India from next November, said one of the sources consulted, just two months after the traditional September launch for new Apple smartphones, which in April reported the start of the production in India of the latest generation of iPhones, the 13 series, seven months after its launch.

Currently, more than 90% of Apple products are manufactured in China through contractors, which implies a dependence on the Asian giant that presents a risk in the face of tensions between Washington and Beijing, according to analysts consulted by the newspaper, who add to the difficulties posed by lockdowns in various Chinese cities to contain Covid-19, causing bottlenecks in the supply chain.

In this way, months ago Apple would have communicated to some of its suppliers that it wanted to boost production outside of China, while in recent years the Government of India has sought to attract a multinational to move its production from China after the outbreak of trade tensions with the implementation of a more open and predictable regulatory regime and a simpler corporate tax structure.

In this sense, Taiwanese assemblers of the multinational's products such as Foxconn Technology Group and Wistron have established factories in India in recent years for the production of iPhones mainly destined for the country's domestic market, although knowledgeable sources indicated that both suppliers are preparing to produce the iPhone 14 both for India's domestic consumption and for export.

However, the experts consulted point out that it may be a challenge for Apple to find in India the amount of skilled and unskilled labor available in China, in addition to less advanced infrastructure than China.

In this way, according to sources consulted by Bloomberg, Apple and Foxconn would have determined that the simultaneous start of production in India and China is not realistic this year, although they stressed that it remains a long-term goal.