Apple Considers Manufacturing iPhone 15 in India with Tata, Amid Plans to Diversify Production Beyond China

By Vaskar Chakraborty Last updated May 15, 2023

According to a report by research firm TrendForce, Tata Group has received small orders for the upcoming iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus and may manufacture the devices in India. The report states that Tata’s acquisition of Wistron’s Indian production line has allowed them to take on the orders. While Tata currently has a 5% share of assembly orders for various iPhone models in 2023, this shift indicates Apple’s plan to diversify production beyond China. Apple already manufactures iPhone SE, iPhone 12, and iPhone 14 in India. The move could help Apple reduce its dependence on China, and benefit from India’s lower manufacturing costs and favorable policies.

Since the next iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are anticipated to incorporate Type-C connectors — a common charging and data transfer method among many Android phones and even newer Apple iPads — Tata will also be looking at new design guidelines from Apple if the claim is genuine. Apple’s proprietary Lightning charging connection, which had trouble providing fast charging and data transfer speeds, was used until the iPhone 14 series.

The Dynamic Island notch, which replaces the static notch that houses the front camera and Face ID sensors, is also anticipated to be included in the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. On the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, the Dynamic Island notch made its debut. It may change in size depending on calls and notifications. The Dynamic notch breaks up the front display’s monotony, which has persisted in its design for a number of years.

Tata Group will reportedly manufacture (assemble) 5 percent of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus devices in India. pic.twitter.com/jUOuy9QHXU

— Shlok Srivastava (@tech_burner) May 15, 2023

According to the research company, Wistron, based in Taiwan, will no longer be involved in the assembly of iPhones in India as a result of Tata’s entry. According to an earlier source, Apple and Wistron might still collaborate for distribution purposes. Currently, Foxconn and Pegatron are responsible for producing Apple products in India. India is not where Apple produces its iPhone Pro models.

After manufacturing of the company’s iPhone 14 Pro series was negatively impacted in the nation’s capital city of Zhengzhou, which is home to the largest iPhone plant in the world, Apple has been working harder to move its production line outside of China. In addition, the research company notes that “due to geopolitical and pandemic, Apple has been accelerating the diversification of its supply sources, with India being the most well-known case for such transfer.”

Last month, Apple also opened its first real physical stores in Delhi and Mumbai. Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, was present for both inaugurations and even had a meeting with PM Narendra Modi to talk about Apple’s intentions for India.