Apple has started manufacturing the iPhone 7 model in India, in addition to iPhone SE and iPhone 6s, thus widening its 'Made in India' portfolio and signalling its intention of developing the country as a manufacturing hub.
Reuters
2/5
iPhone 7 price
Taiwanese contract manufacturer Wistron, which makes iPhone SE and 6s models out of its plant on the outskirts of Bengaluru, has been making the iPhone 7 devices in India since the beginning of March. The 32GB iPhone 7 costs Rs 39,900 while the 128GB variant is shipped for Rs 49,900.
Reuters
3/5
Price conscious India
The cost of making iPhone 7 devices in India is cheaper than importing them due to the duty concessions any handset maker gets on local manufacturing, a move aimed at boosting the government's Make in India initiative. However, a price drop for the iPhone 7 is unlikely with analysts saying the company will invest the margins made from these devices into a more aggressive sales and marketing play.
AP
4/5
Testing waters
Apple’s latest move comes after Wistron recently received the government’s approval for its Rs5,000-crore proposal to expand its manufacturing capabilities with the aim of locally producing high-end Apple devices. According to Navkender Singh, research director at IDC India, manufacturing iPhone 7 locally is more about testing waters in the manufacturing segment for high-end Apple phones”.
AFP
5/5
Latest entry level iPhone
As per news reports, the company seems to be planning to phase out iPhone 6 and 6s from the Indian market, and this could mean that iPhone 7 now becomes the entry level model for India, he added.
