First Run of 'Assembled in India' iPhone SE Models Appear in Bangalore

[MacRumors]

The first iPhone SE devices that have been made in India are beginning to circulate around Bangalore, according to a report today by The Indian Express. The site noted that it's still hard to come by an iPhone SE with "Assembled in India" on its back, because Apple has kicked off its Indian iPhone production with just a small trial run of limited units.

Image via The Indian Express​

The India-made iPhone SE models are mostly appearing in Bangalore, which is expected since that's where Apple's assembly plant is located. Apple officially began assembling iPhones in India in the middle of May, with sources predicting that retail outlets would get the first shipments over the next few weeks.

The handsets have been assembled by Apple supplier Wistron, and Apple's plans for local production of iPhone devices began as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Make in India" initiative last year. This past weekend, PM Nodi met with Apple CEO Tim Cook and a collection of other tech CEOs to discuss the Indian government's attempts to improve the country's business climate and convince American-based companies to extend manufacturing into India.

Unfortunately, the iPhone SE hasn't seen a price reduction yet in the country, despite Apple's local manufacturing goals finally being realized after so long, which the company hopes will eventually lead to lower-priced devices. The Bangalore-made iPhone SE models are said to be "priced the same as other models manufactured in China," and it's unclear when such a price reduction might come to the iPhone SE models made and sold in India.

Article Link: First Run of 'Assembled in India' iPhone SE Models Appear in Bangalore

 

[Adam Warlock]

Too bad we in the West seem hellbent on giving away our prosperity and don't have nearly enough "Made in X" requirement policies.

 

[MrGuder]

Would be cool to see Assembled in the USA!!

 

[Mr Fusion]

Would be cool to see Assembled in the USA!!

What would be cool is if the world's most valuable company would use technology to assemble their devices instead of taking advantage of cost of living differences in the Third World. And don't even start with the "but these are good jobs that help people survive" or "the wages are fair for the country they are paid in." Machines should be assembling everything by now, and tech companies should be leading the way.

 

[Keane16]

What would be cool is if the world's most valuable company would use technology to assemble their devices instead of taking advantage of cost of living differences in the Third World. And don't even start with the "but these are good jobs that help people survive" or "the wages are fair for the country they are paid in."

This has already started happening.

"One factory has "reduced employee strength from 110,000 to 50,000 thanks to the introduction of robots", a government official told the South China Morning Post."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-36376966

And the long game is to be as fully automised as possible...

"Dai Jia-peng, the general manager of Foxconn’s automation committee, says the company has a three-phase plan in place to automate its Chinese factories using software and in-house robotics units, known as Foxbots."

https://www.theverge.com/2016/12/30...s-automation-apple-iphone-china-manufacturing

Machines should be assembling everything by now, and tech companies should be leading the way.

If it was as easy as flicking a switch to make it happen I'm sure they would. These things take time. But it will happen.

 

[ike1707]

Collect them all!

 

[Mr Fusion]

If it was as easy as flicking a switch to make it happen I'm sure they would. These things take time. But it will happen.

Thanks for the info! That's good to hear these jobs are slowly disappearing. I think it hasn't happened quickly due to cost (humans in a lot of places are still cheaper than robots) not company desire to automate, but regardless it's heartening to see this transformation taking shape.

 

[macintoshmac]

Thanks for the info! That's good to hear these jobs are slowly disappearing. I think it hasn't happened quickly due to cost (humans in a lot of places are still cheaper than robots) not company desire to automate, but regardless it's heartening to see this transformation taking shape.

Might you interest us in telling which profession are you in? Just to reduce costs and to attain a never-attainable perfection (because we are never happy with what we have, we just keep pushing boundaries to no end) you are willing to cut jobs that feed the population on the planet and call it heartening.

Robots weld our cars, make our cars, now we are trying to make robots drive our cars for us, what do you think remains to be the next step?

 

[marf1million]

Would be cool to see Assembled in the USA!!

Nah not really, they would probably fall apart after a few weeks.

 

[DogHouseDub]

Would be cool to see Assembled in the USA!!

Ever take an iPhone apart? You think the people that can't operate an ATM, or operate the self-service kiosk at the airport, are going to build THAT? We're a country that prides itself in being knuckle-dragging mouth breathers. None of this is coming to the US without full automation - and the only necessary personnel are programers and engineers.

 

[tzm41]

Too bad we in the West seem hellbent on giving away our prosperity and don't have nearly enough "Made in X" requirement policies.

That's because we realized the assembly process doesn't produce the most profit. Apple became the most valuable company in the world, not by assembling laptops and phones, but by designing and engineering them.

So no, more "Made in X" protectionism policies don't protect our prosperity. They just slow down steps of inventions for Apple and the like, increase their operational cost, and weaken their competitive edge.

 

[5105973]

Ever take an iPhone apart? You think the people that can't operate an ATM, or operate the self-service kiosk at the airport, are going to build THAT? We're a country that prides itself in being knuckle-dragging mouth breathers. None of this is coming to the US without full automation - and the only necessary personnel are programers and engineers.

Um, what now? While we have some knuckle dragging mouth breathers, as a country we certainly don't hold a monopoly on that variety of human being. But if we don't do something about educating and employing our population better and taking care of our own, larger swaths of our population will devolve to fit that description as more and more people struggle just to attain the basics for survival and give up hope of rising to anything better.

Calls to bring more manufacturing jobs back to the USA are a desperate plea to bring opportunities back to people to give their kids a chance to advance out of the most basic modes of existence.

At any rate, in the forthcoming zombie Apocalypse, my money is on the knuckle draggers!

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

This has already started happening.

"One factory has "reduced employee strength from 110,000 to 50,000 thanks to the introduction of robots", a government official told the South China Morning Post."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-36376966

And the long game is to be as fully automised as possible...

"Dai Jia-peng, the general manager of Foxconn’s automation committee, says the company has a three-phase plan in place to automate its Chinese factories using software and in-house robotics units, known as Foxbots."

https://www.theverge.com/2016/12/30...s-automation-apple-iphone-china-manufacturing



If it was as easy as flicking a switch to make it happen I'm sure they would. These things take time. But it will happen.

The west gave them this tech that they shouldn't have.

 

[mi7chy]

India is friendlier towards the US so we're better off shifting production there. Hopefully, quality is better too.

 

[tzm41]

The west gave them this tech that they shouldn't have.

Frankly speaking this sounds nothing more than west supremacist trash talk. You mean they didn’t pay any price to get the tech? Exactly “the White gave them their freedom they shouldn’t have” gibberish from white supermacists.

 

[Mr Fusion]

Might you interest us in telling which profession are you in? Just to reduce costs and to attain a never-attainable perfection (because we are never happy with what we have, we just keep pushing boundaries to no end) you are willing to cut jobs that feed the population on the planet and call it heartening.

Robots weld our cars, make our cars, now we are trying to make robots drive our cars for us, what do you think remains to be the next step?

At some point in our future (some would argue we're already there) we will reach a point where there will not be enough (family supporting) jobs for everyone who wants one. This isn't about achieving perfection, it's about figuring out how society will function in a post-jobs world. It's a vital question that requires answers, however your solution is to halt progress for what... Something that ultimately amounts to an unpleasant welfare system?

I work in a profession that will ultimately be taken over by automation, but I don't fear it. Instead I'd like to see tough issues dealt with now rather than ignoring and postponing inevitability and a better world. I don't pretend to have the answer, but impeding progress has and never will work.

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

Frankly speaking this sounds nothing more than west supremacist trash talk. You mean they didn’t pay any price to get the tech? Exactly “the White gave them their freedom they shouldn’t have” gibberish from white supermacists.

I could care less what it sounds like to you. i'm defending my nations ip.

 

[Sedulous]

What would be cool is if the world's most valuable company would use technology to assemble their devices instead of taking advantage of cost of living differences in the Third World. And don't even start with the "but these are good jobs that help people survive" or "the wages are fair for the country they are paid in." Machines should be assembling everything by now, and tech companies should be leading the way.

Careful what you wish for. Automation and AI will eventually displace most jobs. Will need a serious re-think about economy before then.

 

[tzm41]

I could care less what it sounds like to you. i'm defending my nations ip.

Not the IP you invented, and not the business deals you made. Don't pretend you know how each and every business operates.

Edit: And any tech must be stolen from us, the great USA, right? http://projects.directindustry.com/project-1267.html

 

[macintoshmac]

At some point in our future (some would argue we're already there) we will reach a point where there will not be enough (family supporting) jobs for everyone who wants one. This isn't about achieving perfection, it's about figuring out how society will function in a post-jobs world. It's a vital question that requires answers, however your solution is to halt progress for what... Something that ultimately amounts to an unpleasant welfare system?

I work in a profession that will ultimately be taken over by automation, but I don't fear it. Instead I'd like to see tough issues dealt with now rather than ignoring and postponing inevitability and a better world. I don't pretend to have the answer, but impeding progress has and never will work.

I am not anti-progress. I am anti anti-human. I am human first. Progress with human, progress for human. Corporations progress for corporations. For bottom lines. Humans should progress with and for humans and humanity.

It is the stupidity of humans to make things that ultimately negate the need and importance of humans only, and humanity. Other solutions need to be found and the question requires answers, you are right.

 

[Pamela5]

Would be cool to see Assembled in the USA!!

I agree but unfortunately it will never happen. Most corporations don't want to pay the "fortune" that is the USA minimum wage ..when they can pay half or usually 1/4th of that overseas. Then if they are made in the USA the prices of phones could go up $200 or more. It's a bad situation that has been going on for years that I don't see an easy way of overcoming.

 

[gaanee]

In all fairness... the iPhone clearly says Designed by Apple in California.. and that's the biggest chunk.
Apple could certainly make the iPhone in the US if customers are willing to pay $1000 instead of $750, or if shareholders would be happy by Apple taking a hit in terms of profit just to brag about Made in ...

Oh.. and don't think that you are doing some charity and giving away your prosperity.. ultimately it's you the customer who benefits from low manufacturing cost. That also helps Apple to be competitive and invest in research and development in the US.

Imagine if other countries start implementing policies for Designed and Assembled in X.

Too bad we in the West seem hellbent on giving away our prosperity and don't have nearly enough "Made in X" requirement policies.

 

[Pamela5]

In all fairness... the iPhone clearly says Designed by Apple in California.. and that's the biggest chunk.
Apple could certainly make the iPhone in the US if customers are willing to pay $1000 instead of $750, or if shareholders would be happy by Apple taking a hit in terms of profit just to brag about Made in ...

Oh.. and don't think that you are doing some charity and giving away your prosperity.. ultimately it's you the customer who benefits from low manufacturing cost. That also helps Apple to be competitive and invest in research and development in the US.

Imagine if other countries start implementing policies for Designed and Assembled in X.

Designed by Apple in California stamped on my phone means nothing to me. if it's made in China, it's a product that's made in China, despite where the design originated from. You are correct of course that the prices would increase if iPhones were USA made and no one likes the costs as they are now.

 

[macintoshmac]

Imagine if other countries start implementing policies for Designed and Assembled in X.

Exactly. If all countries get so defensive/ offensive about self-serving, I think we will quickly disintegrate into islands, rather than become a cohesive whole. The divides will only grow wider.

 

[zooby]

.