Apple Now Exporting Some iPhone 6s and 7 Models Made in India to Europe

Thursday July 11, 2019 5:40 AM PDT by Mitchel Broussard
Over two years after the first iPhone SE devices were assembled in India, Apple is now exporting some India-made iPhones to European markets. The news comes from three people aware of Apple's plans, who stated that iPhone assembler Wistron recently began exporting some iPhone 6s and iPhone 7 models from India to Europe (via The Economic Times).


The iPhones are first being built in Wistron's facility in Bangalore, and about 100,000 units per month are being exported. Apple first began this process a few months ago, in a move that should further cement India as one of the company's assembly and manufacturing hubs outside of China.
The other two people, who are senior executives in the industry said that the export volumes were about 70-80% of the total capacity at the facility. Wistron has been making iPhone 6 since the year before and iPhone 7 since the beginning of this year.
According to industry watchers, Apple is said to be treating India "more as a production hub than a significant market" for device sales. The company will start manufacturing higher-end iPhone models locally in India through Foxconn, and as much as 70 to 80 percent of the output of those devices might be exported elsewhere.

Apple has been re-focusing efforts in India in hopes of expanding production outside of China in the wake of the ongoing trade war between the United States and China. Last summer, Apple detailed a new India strategy with official retail stores, overhauled relationships with independent retailers, more frequent sales, and improved apps and services.

Some of these plans have started to come to fruition, as Apple has now finalized a list of locations for its first retail store in India.

Tag: India
23 comments


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BootsWalking
10 weeks ago
When Apple runs out of low-wage countries to build phones they're going to colonize a new species on Mars and move production there.
Rating: 8 Votes
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Andres Cantu
10 weeks ago
If they still make the 6s, I assume it’s likely it will support iOS 14.
Rating: 2 Votes
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ksec
10 weeks ago

just take those manufacturing savings


What savings?

just cut that phone price in half to combat the cheaper android phones


These leaves Apple with little profits, and the cheaper iPhone XR, assuming you mean only for India, will then be resold to other region due to price differentiation.

I am wondering if this means iPhone 7 will stay around for another year. At least all iPhone 7 globally will be Made in India?
Rating: 2 Votes
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Falhófnir
10 weeks ago

Wouldn’t it just be cheaper to just stop making those models... and just take those manufacturing savings and make the X and XS models cheaper?

Then there’s the XR.... just cut that phone price in half to combat the cheaper android phones

I don’t get it

The 6S is what they're using to compete with £299 Androids...
Rating: 2 Votes
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Shirasaki
10 weeks ago

Wouldn’t it just be cheaper to just stop making those models... and just take those manufacturing savings and make the X and XS models cheaper?

Then there’s the XR.... just cut that phone price in half to combat the cheaper android phones

I don’t get it

This solution sounds intuitive, but if the termination cost is higher than just keeping the production of certain products, Apple would only make a financially more sensible choice to keep producing those phones.
Just like stopping production of a refinery costs a huge amount, shutting a production line could cost Apple a huge amount as well.
Rating: 2 Votes
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justperry
10 weeks ago

This solution sounds intuitive, but if the termination cost is higher than just keeping the production of certain products, Apple would only make a financially more sensible choice to keep producing those phones.
Just like stopping production of a refinery costs a huge amount, shutting a production line could cost Apple a huge amount as well.


Not necessarily, Apple themselves don't make hardware, it's outsourced, Apple can stop anytime if there are no contracts.
Rating: 2 Votes
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pika2000
10 weeks ago

When Apple runs out of low-wage countries to build phones they're going to colonize a new species on Mars and move production there.

It’s going to be Wistron/Foxconn/Pegatron that do that, not Apple. Apple doesn’t make their phones themselves.
Rating: 2 Votes
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BootsWalking
10 weeks ago

It’s going to be Wistron/Foxconn/Pegatron that do that, not Apple. Apple doesn’t make their phones themselves.


Just like how Walmart doesn't make the Chinese goods sold in their store themselves. But guess what - if you want to sell into Walmart then you pretty much have to make your stuff in China, otherwise you wont meet Walmart's legendary supplier price demands. Same goes for Apple's manufacturing partners. And Apple is acutely aware of this reality.
Rating: 1 Votes
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Hazmat401
10 weeks ago
Wouldn’t it just be cheaper to just stop making those models... and just take those manufacturing savings and make the X and XS models cheaper?

Then there’s the XR.... just cut that phone price in half to combat the cheaper android phones

I don’t get it
Rating: 1 Votes
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one more
10 weeks ago

Nokia made phones even in Finland.


And quality phones they were! Virtually indestructible, with swappable batteries and easily replaceable shells, aka skins. Good times!
Rating: 1 Votes
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