Apple has reportedly shifted manufacturing operation for its iPhone 11 series to India. According to multiple reports, Apple’s new factory is situated near the city of Chennai and will allow the fruit company to bypass India’s 20% import tax.
According to TechCrunch, a small batch of Indian-made iPhone 11 devices have already been shipped out to retail stores, despite production yield of the factory still being limited.
Apple’s decision to open up another factory outside of China should come as no surprise. The rift between the US and China, since the former administration signed an executive order last year, have nearly soured any and all foreign relations between the two superpowers. With both US and non-US based companies with factories and plants within China bearing the brunt of the ongoing trade war.
Naturally, Apple isn’t the only one that has begun shifting both its production capacities and plants to places outside of China. Google, for instance, announced last year that it was moving its production facility for its Pixel smartphone to Vietnam in order to cut down its dependency on the Asian economic powerhouse. Further, other major brands – including Xiaomi, Samsung, and OnePlus – have also signed deals with manufacturers within India to produce and sell their products within the country.
On another note, Apple is expected to open up an online store in India within the next few months, while its first physical store is slated for a grand opening next year. Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
(Source: TechCrunch, Techspot)
