Apple is reportedly working on shipping items needed for iPhone 14 from China and assembling the smartphones at its plant in India.
This move will ramp up the manufacturing of the iPhone 14s, and fans can expect the launch to happen in late October or November.
Apple's India Plant
According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple's Taiwan-based supplier Foxconn has studied the process of shipping the parts for iPhone 14 from China and assembling them at the company's plant outside the southern Indian city of Chennai.
Apple is looking at options after Beijing's clashes with Washington and lockdowns across China disrupted production.
Reuters reported that the tech giant has been shifting some areas of iPhone production from China to other markets, including India, the world's second-biggest smartphone market. The company is also planning to assemble iPad tablets there.
India and other countries such as Vietnam and Mexico are becoming important to contract manufacturers supplying American brands as they diversify production away from China.
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In early 2022, the US considered limiting shipments of American chipmaking equipment to chip makers in China to stop China's semiconductor sector advances and protect companies based in the US.
If President Joe Biden's administration proceeds with the plan, it could also affect South Korean memory chip makers such as Samsung and SK Hynix Inc.
Secrecy Issues
According to MacRumors, Apple and Foxconn are having issues with organizing coordination between hundreds of suppliers.
But one of the biggest challenges the two tech companies face involves finding ways to maintain the high standards for secrecy.
MacRumors noted that local executives in India looked at the possibility of cornering off one of Foxconn's assembly lines, sequestering workers, and scrutinizing ways the security around the device could be compromised.
Apple is also concerned about Indian customs officials who often unseal packages to check if the materials match their declarations, which could jeopardize the company's product secrecy controls.
Given the high possibility of leaks, Apple and Foxconn have decided against a simultaneous launch in China and India.
The first iPhone 14 models from India will be released in late October or November after the initial release in September.
Apple is aiming to announce the iPhone 14 on Sept. 7, with retail employees said to be preparing for a new product release on Sept. 16, which suggests the new Apple Watch models could see a release on that date.
The tech giant plans to release four iPhone 14 models, including a 6.1-inch iPhone 14, a 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro, a 6-7-inch iPhone 14 Max, and a 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max.
As for Apple iPads, the tech giant shifted the production from China to Vietnam after strict COVID lockdowns in China that led to months of supply chain disruptions.
According to Business Standard, Apple's move to shift production will influence the thinking of other Western companies, which have been considering reducing their dependency on China for manufacturing and materials.
In April, Apple warned that the resurgence of COVID-19 will hinder sales by $8 billion in the current quarter.
China's strict anti-COVID rules have stopped the tech giant from sending its executives and engineers into the country since 2020, making it hard for them to check the production sites in person.
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This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Sophie Webster
