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Apple is to set to begin ramping up assembly of the iPhone SE at its Bangalore manufacturing plant in India in the coming months, sources said on Friday (via Reuters).

Last month, Apple agreed a deal with the Indian government to commence manufacturing operations in the Karnataka-based facility, with Taiwanese manufacturing partner Wistron reportedly winning the contract to set up the plant and focus on assembling Apple's phones.

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That groundwork now appears to have paid off, with Wistron almost ready to begin assembling the lower-priced iPhone SE model and kick-start Apple's local production in India, home to the world's fastest growing major mobile market.

Recently, Apple has been in talks with the Indian federal government in relation to possible tax concessions if it agreed to manufacture its phones locally. However, industry sources with knowledge of the matter say the initial manufacturing of the iPhone SE is not contingent on any such concessions.

The Economic Times reported on Friday that Apple planned to initially assemble 300,000 to 400,000 iPhone SE handsets in India, but an industry source told Reuters the numbers would be substantially lower to begin with. The source also said it's too early to say what other iPhone models would be assembled at the Bengalore plant.

The move comes as Apple looks to offset slowing growth in China by boosting its share of the Indian mobile market, which is currently dominated by handsets far cheaper than iPhones. Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, and other players command the market there, where most phones are sold priced below 15,000 rupees ($225). The iPhone SE goes for $424 on Amazon.com's India site, by comparison.

Article Link: Apple to Start Assembling iPhone SE Handsets in India in the Coming Months
 
The first phones were American made with American parts and everyone was begging for a license. Look at how fast this was!!!!
 
I remember many on here saying Apple wouldn't be able to build phones in the US because there was no supplier chain of parts built up. I guess that isn't a valid reason any more...
Apple will end up building phones in the US. It won't be on an extremely large level, but they will end up here eventually.
 
Apple will end up building phones in the US. It won't be on an extremely large level, but they will end up here eventually.

Why? The only reason the Mac Pro exsits is so apple can say they are building an apple profuct in the US.

They are never going build their most profitable product in the US, they will do a hobby catergory product for PR purposes , well in my opinion anywhere .
 
Oh, but I thought you needed local manufacturing talent? Couldn't possibly simply just start making them. F U Apple. You just can't be bothered to make iPhones in the USA.
 
The alternate headline for this article was "Apple to begin exploiting workers in India with insanely low wages making iPhone SE".

It be nice if headlines summed up articles succinctly in an honest and informational manner like above.
 
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They're going to be assembling the same SE as last year, or an updated version? Hoping for the latter!
They're only rumored to crank out less than 300K. It's for the price sensitive Indian market. They're getting the most cost effective SE that can be built. Same one from last year.

Please let that be a signal that they're committing to the SE form factor for more than the next 12 months!
I don't know, the SE might just turn out to be the "emerging market" phone.
 
The Economic Times reported on Friday that Apple planned to initially assemble 300,000 to 400,000 iPhone SE handsets in India, but an industry source told Reuters the numbers would be substantially lower to begin with.

I bet they didn't realize that India has the most national holidays of any country in the world.

Plus a bunch of regional and religious ones.

That removes about a month's worth of work each year.
 
When this country is a pile of crap in 20 years...remember your stance on American jobs.

No it will only be a pile of crap outside the cities. In the cities(aka liberal areas), there will be very high paying jobs, great life styles. While the rural areas suffer. For example, look at Chicago.
Companies are falling head over heals to relocate to downtown Chicago, McDonalds from the suburbs, Caterpillar from rural Illinois, ADM, Motorola, etc, etc.

See: https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/201...arters-west-loop-will-be-9-stories-renderings

So at the end of the day, if you are a family in rural america, make sure to teach your kids programming. And start to look at relocating out of there before its too late.
 
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No thanks I don't want lazy Americans making my iPhones and raising the prices on them just to satisfy a made in USA slogan.
Actually, speak for yourself, yes, I want "lazy Americans" manufacturing iPhones, getting paid properly, working a humane number of hours each day. And and any costs associated, which there really are none, can be absorbed by the stock price and executive payments.
 
I bet they didn't realize that India has the most national holidays of any country in the world.

Plus a bunch of regional and religious ones.

That removes about a month's worth of work each year.

True, but they do have a working Saturday though.
Plus these are factory jobs, so they might even work on Sundays.

This might even out with the regional and religious holidays.
 
Nonsense. Yep, artificially talk down production abilities. The US (and in fact all countries) could manufacture 100,000,000 a year.
Gonna find 300,000 people to work a Foxconn plant 24/7?
When production becomes automated any country can, but by then who will care where it's made?
 
Actually, speak for yourself, yes, I want "lazy Americans" manufacturing iPhones, getting paid properly, working a humane number of hours each day. And and any costs associated, which there really are none, can be absorbed by the stock price and executive payments.

In no universe will conglomerate executives "absorb costs."

The price hike will be passed to the American consumer, then marketed as a great thing because the higher payments go directly towards employee health care and benefits.

People who think any corporation will suddenly change their stance is like expecting a billionaire tax-dodger to become president to drain the swamp.
 
Wow, Tim Cook hates American workers even more than he hates Macs and his customers.
 
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