iPhone 17 trial production kicks off in India, faces setbacks from China: Report
Mass Production Begins August, Launch Expected in September
Sources indicate that full-scale mass production of the iPhone 17 is scheduled to begin in August, ahead of the anticipated September launch. Apple plans to manufacture the iPhone 17 simultaneously in China and India, a major strategic move that underscores India's increasing importance in Apple's global production ecosystem.
This follows a gradual shift in Apple's supply chain strategy over the past few years. While the iPhone 14 was assembled in India six weeks after China, the iPhone 15 was produced nearly simultaneously in both countries. In 2024, Apple integrated India into the New Product Introduction (NPI) process for the iPhone 16, breaking China's long-standing exclusivity on early-stage production.
US Market Shift and Tariff Avoidance
The move aligns with Apple's broader strategy to reduce its reliance on China, particularly for devices bound for the US. Since the imposition of steep tariffs on Chinese imports under former President Donald Trump, Apple has been ramping up Indian manufacturing as an export hub. The company is aiming to transition most of its US-bound iPhone production to India by 2026, despite pressure from the US government to bring more manufacturing back home.
Production Disruption as Foxconn Sends Chinese Engineers Back
However, the ramp-up is facing unexpected challenges. According to Business Standard, Foxconn has started pulling back hundreds of Chinese engineers and technicians from its Indian facilities. The decision is believed to be influenced by the Chinese government's efforts to retain critical manufacturing know-how and technology within China. Additionally, there are reports of Chinese Customs delaying the shipment of essential machinery required to upgrade Indian production lines for the iPhone 17.
The combination of logistical hurdles and staff pullout could impact Apple's goal of matching production timelines across India and China. Nevertheless, the company appears committed to expanding its footprint in India, with new Foxconn assembly plants already under construction in locations such as Bengaluru.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
10 minutes ago
- Business Standard
India, Asean drift apart as Trump tariffs strain trade ties and trust
It's still far from clear what President Donald Trump's tariffs will eventually look like. But the pressures they will put on stable trading relationships — even those that don't directly involve the US — are already visible. Ties between India and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations are already fraying: They're being pushed into different camps, and the free-trade agreement they signed in 2010 could become an unexpected victim of the turmoil. Trump might be the immediate cause of this rift, but, as always, China's massive manufacturing overcapacity is at the heart of the problem. Even if no country knows what rates they or others will face, everyone can be reasonably certain that the mainland's tariffs will be the highest of all. Unfortunately, this also means that there's a big incentive to help Beijing game the system enough that we all trust each other less. But, for some, there's also the tempting possibility that China's overcapacity can be turned from an enemy into an ally. Any country that remains integrated both with China and those that are putting up tariff walls could, if it wanted, become a location for the trans-shipment of goods. Instead of paying the higher China levies, importers would pay lower ones imposed on the third country — and share a bit of the take with local partners. Tariff arbitrage could become as profitable in the future as interest rate arbitrage is today. The more countries that impose anti-dumping duties on China, the more money the successful trans-shipper would make. The US, for one, is already very concerned that parts of Asean might take this route — which is why Trump's trade deal with Vietnam included a clause that any goods suspected of being trans-shipped would pay double tariffs. For countries like India, it's an even greater fear. India's commerce minister caused a bit of a stir recently when he described Asean as 'China's B-team.' That was certainly impolitic. But, perhaps, not entirely unjustified. New Delhi has been trying to update its free trade agreement with Asean for a while. Its particular focus has been to tighten rules-of-origin requirements — the way in which you ensure that a free trade agreement only benefits local producers in both countries, not those shipping goods that originate elsewhere. Indian officials feel that Asean has been going slow on these discussions. Meanwhile, news broke in May that the bloc had expanded the scope of its parallel FTA with China. They achieved that in double-quick time — negotiations only started in November 2022 — which raised a few eyebrows in New Delhi. Some in India, clearly including its commerce minister, now seem to think that tariff-free trade with Southeast Asia is the same as opening your market to China. That isn't true — or, at any rate, not yet. But the fact is that member states simply aren't doing enough to reassure their other trading partners, including India. It would be a nightmare for most countries, including India, if closed-off blocs were to replace today's open trading system. Yet Trump's actions, when combined with China's overcapacity, are taking us there. Any country that wants to trade with both sides of the divide — which, clearly, many in Southeast Asia would prefer — will also need to be able to be very transparent about the goods it is exporting, and how much value has been added domestically. In other words, it's Asean's move: They will have to step up and give most of their trading partners, not just India and the US, a clearer view into their supply chains. The US is clearly worried that some countries will evade its tariffs. Those concerns will be shared, especially by India. New Delhi seems to believe that, if world trade blocs form, then Asean has already chosen its side — and it won't be the one India picks. Trade's impossible without trust, and these two partners will have to work to rebuild it.
New Indian Express
16 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Dhoni may be roped in to promote sports, tourism
Now, the Jharkhand government is looking to rope in former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni in building a roadmap to elevate the state's sports and tourism status. Dhoni recently met Tourism, Art-Culture and Sports minister Sudivya Kumar to discuss a collaboration in boosting the sports infrastructure and tourism potential of the state. According to the minister, Dhoni's experience and commitment will play a pivotal role in taking Jharkhand to new heights in the respective field. Dhoni, however, is yet to release an statement in this regard. Chatbot to help pilgrims during Shravani Mela In a first, Deoghar district administration has launched a Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbot, through which, special information will be communicated to visitors about the Shravani Mela, which stated on July 11. The app, which can be downloaded at the click of a link, will provide interesting insights into the history of Deoghar and the Baba Temple. Besides, whatever information may be required by a devotee during the Mela, including railway station, bus stand, airport, hospital and other such data, will be available on the app. In another significant step, surveillance in the Mela area includes facial recognition and headcount cameras, enhancing enhancing crowd control and safety. Govt offices to be fully e-enabled by 2026 Taking a move towards streamlined, paperless governance, the Jharkhand government has launched a comprehensive initiative to digitise all its offices by January 2026. The move, led by Chief Secretary Alka Tiwari, is set to transform traditional bureaucratic workflow into a modern, tech-driven 'e-office' system. The chief secretary has also asked department heads to evaluate the progress of the 'e-Office Light' initiative. Stressing the need for accuracy and efficiency, she has directed the IT Department to ensure that the system is completely error-free and operational across all departments before the deadline. Mukesh Ranjan Our correspondent in Jharkhand mukesh.r@
Mint
23 minutes ago
- Mint
Australia Evades US Tensions to Seek Closer China Trade Ties
The prime minister of Australia, a longtime US security partner in Asia, sought to focus his trip to China this week on business and trade opportunities, sidestepping thornier issues around US-China competition such as Taiwan or Beijing's military expansion. Since taking office just over three years ago, Anthony Albanese has repaired his country's relationship with China, Australia's No. 1 export market, after suffering Beijing's punitive tariffs and other restrictions during the pandemic. Now, however, President Donald Trump's renewed trade war between the US and China risks again destabilizing those ties, as they do for Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and others in the region who look to Washington for security but to China for trade. Premier Li Qiang noted as much in his opening remarks to Albanese during the Australia-China annual leaders' meeting in Beijing late Tuesday. Li said the world economy is experiencing 'growing instability and uncertainty' and that 'all countries are faced with new challenges,' without specifically mentioning Trump, the US or tariffs. In a joint statement, China and Australia said they agreed to enhance exchanges and cooperation, uphold their respective national interests and navigate differences wisely. Speaking to reporters after he met with President Xi Jinping earlier Tuesday, Albanese stressed the economic significance of the relationship between the two countries. 'Given that China is overwhelmingly, by far, the largest trading partner that Australia has, it is very much in the interests of Australian jobs and the Australian economy to have a positive and constructive relationship,' he said. Xi was equally enthusiastic: 'The China-Australia relationship has risen from the setbacks and turned around, bringing tangible benefits to the Chinese and Australian peoples,' he said, obliquely referring to the tensions before 2022. The leaders seemingly both avoided any tricky security-related issues, including the potential forced sale of the port of Darwin by its Chinese owner, given its proximity to where US Marines exercise. Albanese said the issue didn't come up in his talks with Xi. Neither, he said, did complaints about Australia's foreign investment regime, which has blocked a number of proposed purchases by Chinese firms, nor reports that the US has pressured Canberra about its role in any potential war over Taiwan. On Taiwan, Albanese said he reaffirmed his nation's commitment to the 'status quo' — support for the island's de facto autonomy without endorsing formal independence and maintaining recognition of the One China policy. His remarks highlight Australia's opposition to any unilateral move, especially by force, to alter the cross-strait balance. In a separate statement, Premier Li told a China-Australia CEO Roundtable that he hoped Australia would treat Chinese enterprises fairly and address issues in market access and investment reviews. Chinese state media has been positive about the trip, with an editorial Monday in the China Daily, the main Communist Party mouthpiece in English, saying that it highlights 'Australia's commitment to deepening ties and fostering stability amid the uncertain global landscape.' 'Against the backdrop of rising tensions between the United States and many countries because of the US administration's recent threat to levy higher tariffs' his visit 'shows that the Australian side has a clearer judgment and understanding of China' than the previous government of former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the editorial said. 'The progress made in their economic and trade cooperation in the past two years has benefited the people of both countries, and provided a counterweight amid the rampancy of unilateralism and protectionism,' it said. Albanese took pains to argue that his government wasn't looking to China to make up for the changes to US trade policy under Trump. 'Trade with the US is important, but is less than 5%' of what the country sells, he said. 'What Australia is doing is engaging not just with China, but we engage as well with our partners around the world and we increasingly want to see a diversification of our trade.' Albanese heads next to Chengdu on his six-day trip, which comes on the heels of visits by a number of Australian officials. Reserve Bank Deputy Governor Andrew Hauser traveled there in April, followed by Governor Michele Bullock in May. The two nations are set to start a review of their Free Trade Agreement, which was signed a decade ago, Albanese also said Tuesday. China's Ambassador Xiao Qian in an editorial last week called for a review 'with a more open attitude and higher standard.' While China bought almost $62 billion of Australian goods in the first half of this year, managing the relationship is complicated by Beijing's increased assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific. In February, it conducted live-fire naval drills in the Tasman Sea, near Australia and New Zealand. Albanese said at the time that he was concerned by the lack of notice from Beijing over the drills, which he also said were within the bounds of international law. He said Tuesday that he sought assurances from Xi about being better informed in the future. He didn't clarify if he received them. With assistance from Josh Xiao, Olivia Tam and Bingyan Wang. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
