AirPods to Be Made in India for the First Time Next Year

[MacRumors]

Apple will begin making AirPods in India for the first time early next year, reports Bloomberg. Foxconn will make the wireless earphones at a factory near Hyderabad in Telangana state, beginning around Q1 2025.

The factory has reportedly been making AirPods on a trial basis, with manufacturing set to ramp up quickly after production begins. It will make AirPods only the second major Apple product to be assembled in India after the iPhone.

The decision to set up production in India was requested by Apple back in 2023, according to a previous report. Foxconn officials apparently debated internally for months about whether to assemble AirPods due to the relatively low profit margins, but ultimately decided to go ahead with it to "reinforce engagement" with Apple.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government offers financial incentives to companies that produce wireless earphones and smartwatches locally, which influenced Apple's decision to move manufacturing there. The move is also part of Apple's plan to reduce its production reliance on China amid rising geopolitical tensions between the country and the United States.

Last year, Apple supplier Jabil began making AirPods enclosures in India for shipping to China and Vietnam, where the earphones are currently assembled. According to Bloomberg's sources, exports of Apple iPhones from India jumped by a third in the six months through September, reaching nearly $6 billion. Most of the AirPods to be assembled in India next year will likely also be shipped to other markets.

Article Link: AirPods to Be Made in India for the First Time Next Year

 

[Jay Tee]

Shifting AirPods production to India isn’t just about diversification—it’s about keeping margins stable in a turbulent world. If they can turn this move into long-term savings, their corporate bonds might be the safer way to ride their innovation train without the stock market’s ups and downs.

 

[d5aqoëp]

But they will still sell them at 2x the US price in India

 

[kaycrystal626]

Apple products are made around the globe except in the USA!

 

[PinkLadyApples]

I would prefer it all to be made in the USA. I'm pretty sure in the 1990s Apple Products were.

 

[bribri99]

I would prefer it all to be made in the USA. I'm pretty sure in the 1990s Apple Products were.

Would you pay 20-30% more for this to happen? So around $300-325?

 

[fenderbass146]

Excellent, I'd love to bring them back to the west, but getting out of China is good news.

 

[PinkLadyApples]

Would you pay 20-30% more for this to happen? So around $300-325?

I'd prefer it if it became the de-facto so everything rises along with the price. If salaries were higher and stuff.

Personally for me, yeah. I know everyone shops with a different budget though, so we'd need it to be fairer.

 

[TechnoMonk]

Would you pay 20-30% more for this to happen? So around $300-325?

It’s not even about paying more. Steve Jobs and many have said the ship has sailed long time back. Most of the components are made in Asia, at most assembly may happen in US. But it’s easy to ship an assembled product than individual components and then assemble in the us. It takes lot more than Apple to move manufacturing back.

 

[switz]

The 2013 Trash Can Mac Pro was assembled in Texas as I believe have the on going Mac Pros. Most all of the other Apple products are made off shore. Apple could not become a multi trillion dollar company by paying USA labor rates. But they expect folks around the world to pay really high prices for the Apple product.

GE moved their side by side refrigerator three production lines from Bloomington, Indiana (where I lived at the time) where it was the largest employer to Mexico. The wages paid in Bloomington would allow the workers to be able to buy one of those refrigerators. None of the Mexicans now doing the assembly could even dream of acquiring these products.

The tremendous labor cost savings were not reflected in the USA prices, in fact the prices have continued to climb.

Innovation costs real money. We pay dearly for that. I would not expect Apple to create language compatibility with every version of speech on the planet.

 

[ChrisA]

Apple products are made around the globe except in the USA!

Tim Cook once said that building iPhones in the US would be impossible because he would never be able to hire 200,000 factory workers.

Let's say Tim moved phone production to the US. Would you quit your current job to work in one of the new factories? I didn't think so.

China has four times the population of the US and India is even larger. The only way you can build a phone in the US is to fully automate the factory so it runs with very few employees.

Actually the Mac Pro is made in Texas. But bringing the Mac Pro assembly to the US, only created about 80 factory jobs and about as many office jobs. The factory is automated.

Americans say they want to buy made-in-USA products but when it comes time to actually buy something, we find they care more about price than where it is made. But you want low-priced American goods? That is only going to happen if either (1) American factory workers are paid maybe $6 per hour or (2) the factories are staffed by robots.

 

[russell_314]

the Mac Pro is made in Texas.

Yeah, and people lose their minds about the price. Can you imagine paying $2500 for an iPhone so it could be made in the USA. It’s not only the $25+ per hour wages, but employment and environmental regulations, taxes, bribes to local politicians, etc. that would cause the price to be astronomical. Go look up Levi’s jeans. You can still buy USA made versions. Compare the price to the versions made overseas.

 

[picpicmac]

Americans say they want to buy made-in-USA products but when it comes time to actually buy something, we find they care more about price than where it is made.

Witness: Walmart, Amazon, etc.

 

[djgamble]

China has four times the population of the US and India is even larger. The only way you can build a phone in the US is to fully automate the factory so it runs with very few employees.

Actually the Mac Pro is made in Texas. But bringing the Mac Pro assembly to the US, only created about 80 factory jobs and about as many office jobs. The factory is automated.

Americans say they want to buy made-in-USA products but when it comes time to actually buy something, we find they care more about price than where it is made.

As an Aussie I find it pretty funny that news about overpriced headphones being made in India triggers people like this.

Like it or not Apple's a multinational that does stuff all over the world. I think people need to get over their nationalism/protectionism.

 

[miq]

Hard pass.

 

[d5aqoëp]

Hard pass.

I am using iPhone 16 Pro max which is now made in India. So far it’s been flawless.

 

[svish]

Great to see manufacturing expanding quickly in India. Won't be far off before more Apple products are manufactured in India.

 

[MacMan988]

I would prefer it all to be made in the USA. I'm pretty sure in the 1990s Apple Products were.

Some people do. As a solution, Apple will probably come up with a US locations based naming system for AirPods versions in the future.

 

[hare_star]

The 2013 Trash Can Mac Pro was assembled in Texas as I believe have the on going Mac Pros. Most all of the other Apple products are made off shore. Apple could not become a multi trillion dollar company by paying USA labor rates. But they expect folks around the world to pay really high prices for the Apple product.

GE moved their side by side refrigerator three production lines from Bloomington, Indiana (where I lived at the time) where it was the largest employer to Mexico. The wages paid in Bloomington would allow the workers to be able to buy one of those refrigerators. None of the Mexicans now doing the assembly could even dream of acquiring these products.

The tremendous labor cost savings were not reflected in the USA prices, in fact the prices have continued to climb.

Innovation costs real money. We pay dearly for that. I would not expect Apple to create language compatibility with every version of speech on the planet.

Unless those fridges are some Deluxe Extra VIP products I dare to say the Mexican workers can buy them. This isn't exactly a luxury product and if they feel like they need them they will buy them. They simply have to work longer than US on average. Mexico is poorer than US but honestly it's not third world country and has big perspectives and don't get me started on US working poor. Writing that Mexican factory workers can only "dream" about a freaking fridge sounds pretty ridiculous.

 

[hare_star]

As an Aussie I find it pretty funny that news about overpriced headphones being made in India triggers people like this.

Like it or not Apple's a multinational that does stuff all over the world. I think people need to get over their nationalism/protectionism.

Why do they "need"? It's a product made by a corporation possibly on other side of globe that doesn't bother to have a presence in terms of Apple Shops, Siri localization etc for many people. Don't even get me started on taxes etc.
I bought some Apple products and I'm pretty satisfied but I don't recall joining a cult.
Yes, they have to right to produce where they want but the Average Joe doesn't have any interest in supporting a foreign multinational corp instead of his/her own society.

 

[delsoul]

Would you pay 20-30% more for this to happen? So around $300-325?

I would if it meant employing a local American and keeping money out of China and India’s hands

 

[Marty80]

I guess for myself being down-under if its made in USA, it would cost a ton of money. So while we on the subject how about Apple moves everything to Japan the quality would be much better & more premium.

Japan has many great companies like Sony, Nintendo etc. it is a shame that they are no longer manufactured there.

 

[delsoul]

I guess for myself being down-under if its made in USA, it would cost a ton of money. So while we on the subject how about Apple moves everything to Japan the quality would be much better & more premium.

Japan has many great companies like Sony, Nintendo etc. it is a shame that they are no longer manufactured there.

There’s some great products made in Australia. I have a set of IKON suspension on my motorcycle, which is proudly made in Australia. A bit expensive over here in the US for them, but they are built with love and it shows

 

[jagooch]

Would you pay 20-30% more for this to happen? So around $300-325?

Yes

 

[godorowski]

I can't wait to find out what was the reason of my ear infection!