Apple Begins Production of iPhone 6s in India

[JPack]

The article doesn't mention this for some reason, but the iPhone 6 (32 GB model, which didn't previously exist) has been manufactured in India for a while now in order to sell it in India as well as some other countries (including Western countries) exclusively through carriers as a low cost alternative to the iPhone SE. I suspect that these assembly lines are finally being switched over from making the iPhone 6 to making the iPhone 6s.

Pretty certain the iPhone 6 has never been assembled in India. The 32GB iPhone 6 has been re-launched in India and other price sensitive markets, but it's assembled in China.

The SE is the only iPhone assembled outside of China. Now, that includes the 6s.

 

[bodonnell202]

Pretty certain the iPhone 6 has never been assembled in India. The 32GB iPhone 6 has been re-launched in India and other price sensitive markets, but it's assembled in China.

The SE is the only iPhone assembled outside of China. Now, that includes the 6s.

Hmmm, I swear I remember reading that the re-launched iPhone 6 was being assembled in India, but now I can't find any evidence of it so you could be right.

 

[chromite]

Call me old fashioned, but I still can't get over the lack of TouchID and a headphone jack. Those are two features that are still extremely useful for the vast majority of people. They're not antiquated features, as some might suggest. They're features that are necessary in a modern cell phone. Especially one that costs $1,000.

Using TouchID on my girlfriends phone after spending months with FaceID feels incredibly antiquated. It’s like going from OLED back to LCD. IMO, FaceID is the way of the future.

 

[cmwade77]

I love the comment about Apple maps being a joke in India, the reality is Apple Maps is a joke everywhere that I have ever tried to use it.

 

[magicschoolbus]

Erm, the X has FaceID, superseding TouchID, and doesn't it include a lightning -> headphone jack adapter in the box?

If you think FaceID is better then TouchID you must not have an iPhone X. Because let me tell you; I went from a 6s to an iPhone X; and there’s nothing more frustrating then spending a grand on a phone that has taken a major step back in technology. FaceID is terrible.

 

[MacDawg]

If you think FaceID is better then TouchID you must not have an iPhone X. Because let me tell you; I went from a 6s to an iPhone X; and there’s nothing more frustrating then spending a grand on a phone that has taken a major step back in technology. FaceID is terrible.

Works aces for me and many other users, so your mileage may vary

 

[Cloudkicker]

All the fanboys here can politely shut the heck up next time they accuse Samsung of "flooding the market with cheap phones", because that is exactly what Apple is doing here. A low-end, crippled, old device. Yet here, Apple can do no wrong in the eyes of some rose-coloured glasses.

Oh. Also... given the design, they also should not get to grouch, grouch on Android makers using minimum bezels when there will be a sizable population using a 10 year old design.

 

[pika2000]

I'm surprised Apple is still manufacturing the iPhone 6S as it is a >2 year old model already.

The SE I can see, as it is a very specific form factor, but wouldn't it make more sense to use the manufacturing capacity for newer equivalent models (iPhone 7 and iPhone 8)?

The plant in India is fairly new. I’m sure Apple want to test the waters first. Using it for their cheapest models make sense, and the 6S uses the same internals as the SE. Once they have experience, volume, speed, and QA that Apple is comfortable with, I’m sure Apple would start shifting some models slowly.

When we talk about volume and speed, it’s hard to compete with the Chinese plant. They can churn out stuff at moments notice. Remember how Jobs suddenly wanted a change on an iPhone (forgot which model), the Chinese plant had to open up at night and churn out those changes right away, and they did.
[doublepost=1530061452][/doublepost]

All the fanboys here can politely shut the heck up next time they accuse Samsung of "flooding the market with cheap phones", because that is exactly what Apple is doing here. A low-end, crippled, old device. Yet here, Apple can do no wrong in the eyes of some rose-coloured glasses.

Oh. Also... given the design, they also should not get to grouch, grouch on Android makers using minimum bezels when there will be a sizable population using a 10 year old design.

The SE and 6S is not cheap in these markets when you are seeing sub $100 Android phones by the dozens.
You can simply look how many phones Samsung is releasing (from the plethora of J and A series), and compare that to Apple’s lineup. It’s obvious who’s flooding the market with cheap phones.

 

[JBGoode]

Hmmm, I swear I remember reading that the re-launched iPhone 6 was being assembled in India, but now I can't find any evidence of it so you could be right.

This was first mentioned in the spring so you might be thinking of that. Also the SE was being manufactured in India.

https://9to5mac.com/2018/03/13/iphone-production-india-wistron/

 

[JPack]

The plant in India is fairly new. I’m sure Apple want to test the waters first. Using it for their cheapest models make sense, and the 6S uses the same internals as the SE. Once they have experience, volume, speed, and QA that Apple is comfortable with, I’m sure Apple would start shifting some models slowly.

Testing the waters? No, QA would happen during pre-production testing. Apple customers are not beta testers, nor is iPhone 6s a new and sophisticated product.

Keep in mind the plant in India is simply assembling the kits produced in China.

Apple specifically chose to assemble SE and 6s in India due to the low selling price of those devices.

 

[pika2000]

Testing the waters? No, QA would happen during pre-production testing. Apple customers are not beta testers, nor is iPhone 6s a new and sophisticated product.

Keep in mind the plant in India is simply assembling the kits produced in China.

Apple specifically chose to assemble SE and 6s in India due to the low selling price of those devices.

I agree with you on that. Lower risk vs assembling flagships right away.

As for QA, I'm talking about QA on the final product. Remember how even Foxconn have had QA issues with the iPhone 5 (scuffs while it's still in its own box), and there are still small issues every now and then (not common, but unavoidable on such scale). If an experienced plant still can have issues, a new plant would have higher risks. After all, there are humans (who need a learning process) in these plants.

 

[magicschoolbus]

Works aces for me and many other users, so your mileage may vary

Face ID works for you 100% of the time
On the first try when you’re laying in bed at night?

 

[MacDawg]

Face ID works for you 100% of the time
On the first try when you’re laying in bed at night?

I sleep with my wife, not my phone

 

[JPack]

I agree with you on that. Lower risk vs assembling flagships right away.

As for QA, I'm talking about QA on the final product. Remember how even Foxconn have had QA issues with the iPhone 5 (scuffs while it's still in its own box), and there are still small issues every now and then (not common, but unavoidable on such scale). If an experienced plant still can have issues, a new plant would have higher risks. After all, there are humans (who need a learning process) in these plants.

QA issues are possible, but consider the iPhone 5 was a brand new unibody phone manufactured by Foxconn and Pegatron for worldwide launch on a deadline. It was also the same year Jobs left and Cook took full control.

On the other hand, the Wistron plant in India manufacturing iPhone 6s for domestic consumption is using known tooling, processes, and expertise from China. There's probably less pressure to meet deadlines.

Samsung and Xiaomi have been manufacturing in India for a few years now.. so I doubt there's a lack of workers.

If Apple wanted to manufacture iPhone 7 or 8 in India for domestic consumption, I don't think it would be a problem. But we agree no one in India would be able to afford those phones.

 

[MartyvH]

This is yet another reason for Apple not to make the SE 2.

Emerging markets have the 6s. The SE has a stay of execution because it has 6s parts, so will stay tied to the 6s ship until oblivion. Add this to the three large models in September, the absence of other smartphone models with both compact form factor and good specs, and the resources needed for the SE 2 and it's almost certainly bye bye to the 5/SE lineage. RIP.

And yet there is a market.

 

[magicschoolbus]

I sleep with my wife, not my phone

How creative of you.

 

[Aniruddh]

I sleep with my wife, not my phone

That's you. Not everyone is married.

If Apple wanted to manufacture iPhone 7 or 8 in India for domestic consumption, I don't think it would be a problem. But we agree no one in India would be able to afford those phones.

That's a bold statement. My whole family has iPhone X except me. (I don't like Face ID)