Hyderabad: Apple has reportedly started the early manufacturing work for next year's iPhone 17. This stage aims to figure out how to translate a protoype designed in Cupertino into a device that can be mass-produced. For the first time ever, Apple is using an Indian factory for this process, reported Wayne Ma of The Information.
The choice of an Indian factory for the new product introduction (NPI) appears to highlight Apple's ongoing effort to diversify its supply chain to India from China. Apple's dependence on China for manufacturing needs no introduction, but the company has been steadily trying to reduce over-reliance by shifting some manufacturing duties to Indian factories.
Over the past few years, the company has been manufacturing the latest iPhone models in regions like India and Vietnam. However, it remains dependent on China for most of its manufacturing needs. This is why the shifting of NPI for next year's iPhone model to a country outside China is a big step for the Cupertino-based giant.
According to the report, the NPI process is the most challenging and resource-intensive part of the company's product development. According to "current and former Apple employees" cited by The Information, the process involves refining the iPhone's design and materials and testing various equipment and manufacturing methods to ensure mass production with minimal defects. This development mainly occurs from October to May.
This is why, Apple's decision to shift the early manufacturing work for the base model of iPhone 17 to India appears to showcase the company's confidence in the capabilities of Indian engineers, the report says.
The new report sits in line with a prediction shared by TF Securities International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in November 2023. At the time, Kuo claimed that Apple would begin the early development of the iPhone 17 in India instead of China. Notably, the iPhone 17 is expected to arrive in Fall 2025.
