New iPhone Starts Production Outside China Prior to Announcement for First Time

Apple supplier Foxconn is starting production of the iPhone 15 in India, the first time that a new ‌iPhone‌ has been made outside China prior to its announcement, Bloomberg reports.

iPhone 15 Cyan and Magenta Frosted Back Feature
The devices are to be manufactured at a Foxconn plant in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. The facility is preparing to deliver devices just weeks after they begin shipping from factories in China, narrowing the gap between manufacturing operations in India and China even further. Prior to the release of the ‌iPhone‌ 14, iPhones made in India lagged operations in China by around six to nine months.

This is the first time that a new ‌iPhone‌ model has started mass production in India before it has been announced by Apple. Last year's ‌iPhone‌ 14 models started production in India in late September.

The scale of ‌iPhone‌ 15 production in India apparently depends on the availability of imported components and and the ramp-up of production lines. Pegatron and Wistron factories are also due to soon come on stream to assemble the ‌iPhone‌ 15.

In addition, DigiTimes today reports that Foxconn plans to manufacture AirPods in India by the end of 2024 at its facility near Hyderabad, Telangana.

Manufacturing in India is a key part of Apple's plan to diversify its supply chain away from concentration in China. Apple reportedly plans to produce 25% of all iPhones in India by 2025, with other products such as the iPad, Apple Watch, and AirPods set to follow.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 18 Pro Max Rumored to Deliver Next-Level Battery Life

Friday February 6, 2026 5:14 am PST by
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker. Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...

Top Rated Comments

Mr. Dee Avatar
33 months ago

What about North America and Europe? No plan(t)s there?
We all know what would happen:

Cindy in America: I broke a nail assembling this iPhone, I have to go on PTO and file a lawsuit for work place safety and inhumane treatment.

Pierre in France: Works from 10 am to 11 am and goes to cafe for the rest of day. L'assemblage de l'iPhone soit damné!
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
3530025 Avatar
33 months ago
Great news!

Excited for iPhone 15 from outside of China.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
USB-Adapter Avatar
33 months ago
What about North America and Europe? No plan(t)s there?
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jimmy_uk Avatar
33 months ago
“Roll up, roll up. Not only do we offer the screen lottery, now we have made in Indian or China. Get your ticket to play soon”
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GuruZac Avatar
33 months ago
Production outside of China is great. I also never understand the arguments that producing phones where people are paid well, have decent benefits, at the literal cost of increased purchase price is a bad thing. I'd happily pay $2K for a phone in light of all that it does for me, at a 2-3 year interval (some would still upgrade annually) if that meant whoever was producing my phone was well paid, had benefits. I know it's a very unpopular opinion around here, but the annual iPhone release should go away. The changes YoY are so incrementally small now, that a 2 year cycle would be both more exciting and provide more meaningful changes. Focus on software YoY since that is where the user really notices differences in experience day to day.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gleepskip Avatar
33 months ago

It would probably double the prices.

We will need to consider: higher worker wages, shorter working hours, stricter environmental regulations (so the factories can’t just dump their toxic rubbish anywhere they please), plus re-diverting supply chains away from their current main Asian hubs.

Can be tricky…
So, in other words, responsibly. :cool:
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)