Apple has kept its Make in India ambitions restricted to the iPhone SE so far, but the handset is about to be joined by the iPhone 6S soon. The Economic Times reports that the company kickstarted commercial production of the latter last week.
We’ve been hearing reports about this happening for months. It seems Apple began trial production for the iPhone 6S at some point in April 2018 and is now ready to shift things into high gear. It’s entrusted Wistron with the responsibility of manufacturing the handset at the firm’s Bengaluru factory.
Wistron has apparently set up a whole new line for the iPhone 6S, but the initial yield may not be enough to meet demand. It’ll probably take time to scale up capacity, so Apple has decided to continue importing units up until the output improves.
Made in India iPhone 6S Price
According to an executive, Apple won’t be issuing a price correction for the iPhone 6S because of this situation. This is a big blow if true since the main advantage of local production is cheaper rates. The iPhone SE notably didn’t get more expensive after the government imposed hikes on imported goods earlier this year, but the iPhone 6S did along with all the other iPhones.
Perhaps Apple will make the iPhone 6S cheaper after all units sold in India are made in the country. For now, units of this model will begin hitting stores soon. The company supposedly chose this particular iPhone for its sales potential. Research firm Counterpoint estimates that the iPhone 6 lineup contributes to almost a third of total sales in India.
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Apple recently lost its position at the top of the premium smartphone market in the January-March quarter. Samsung took over the number 1 ranking thanks to the Galaxy S9. It was followed by OnePlus at number 2 and the iPhone maker at number 3.
Sources say Apple is evaluating further expansion of its Make in India output. Another iPhone is expected to enter trials soon.