India

In a bid to reduce its reliance on China as a base for operations, Apple could be planning to produce up to $40 billion worth of smartphones in India through contract manufacturers Wistron and Foxconn, reports The Indian Economic Times. Several meetings between Apple's senior executives and top ranking government officials over the last few months have paved the way for the iPhone maker...

After announcing back in late January that the HomePod would be coming soon to India, the company today began sending out emails to customers letting them know that the Siri-powered smart speaker is now available. Apple's HomePod page in India now has a "Buy" button, although with the company not yet operating its own online storefront in the country, the button redirects to a search tool...

Apple was the third-fastest growing brand in India's smartphone market in the first quarter of this year, according to new data from Counterpoint Research. Apple achieved 78 percent growth as the overall market in the country grew 4 percent year on year during Q1 2020. OPPO shipments grew 83 percent year on year in the same quarter, while realme grew 119 percent. Overall smartphone...

Apple's iPhone factories in India are closing temporarily, after the Indian government ordered the country's population of 1.3 billion people to stay at home for at least three weeks in a bid to reduce the spread of coronavirus. The factories in India have suspended production until at least April 14 following the nationwide lockdown ordered by President by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As...

The Information has published a detailed look into the challenges that Apple has faced in expanding its manufacturing operations in India, including strict labor laws, unsatisfactory health and safety standards, and protectionist trade policies that have resulted in rising tariffs on smartphone components. An excerpt from the paywalled report:For example, one Indian supplier Apple approached ...

Apple has raised the price of some iPhone models in India, following an increase in import duties that were recently announced in the country's federal budget. The iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus will all see price increases of 2 percent effective Monday to offset the cost of the import duties. The hikes are in light of an increase in the basic customs duty rate ...

Apple was the fastest growing premium smartphone brand in India last year with 41 percent annual growth, according to new data gathered by Counterpoint Research. Premium smartphone shipments in the country reached a record high in 2019, increasing by 29 percent year over year. The growth is said to have been driven by affordable premium smartphones, aggressive offers like significant price...

Wistron's new plant in India plans to begin assembling printed circuit boards (PCBs) for iPhones, a first for the Taiwanese contract manufacturer that will save Apple having to pay import taxes on the vital smartphone component. Reuters reports that the PCB assembly will take place in Wistron's new iPhone plant, which is about 40 miles outside of Bengaluru, when it becomes operational by...

Apple will be opening an online Apple Store in India to start official online sales of iPhones, iPads, Macs, and more in the country starting in the third quarter of 2020, reports TechCrunch. The news comes courtesy of a "source familiar with the matter," and Apple's online store rollout is taking a "little longer than previously expected." Apple originally wanted to begin online sales in the...

Apple's main iPhone manufacturer in India is set to significantly boost its overall production capacity, following the construction of a third plant in the country. Wistron won approval to build the new smartphone factory in March 2019 and has already completed trial production at the plant, thanks to collaborative efforts by the Taiwanese firm's local team. According to Wistron company...

Apple is set to invest $1 billion in India as it gets ready to export its "Made in India" iPhones, according to a new report out today. Times of India says Foxconn is the main investment partner in Apple's latest push in the country, with the Taiwanese assembler's factory in Chennai to be used to make Apple products for shipping to global markets. A previous report claimed as much as 70 to...

Apple is set to start online sales of Apple products in India "within months," according to a new report from Bloomberg. Apple has not previously been able to sell its devices in India due to foreign investment rules and regulations. India on Wednesday eased previous rules that forced foreign companies to source 30 percent of production locally, which has long blocked Apple from opening stores ...

Apple has reportedly stopped selling iPhone SE, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and iPhone 6s Plus in India, meaning anyone in the market for a new Apple smartphone will have to shell out more for a later model. According to The Economic Times, the strategy indicates Apple is no longer prioritizing shifting iPhones in the country by volume and is instead refocusing efforts on increasing its revenue ...

Over two years after the first iPhone SE devices were assembled in India, Apple is now exporting some India-made iPhones to European markets. The news comes from three people aware of Apple's plans, who stated that iPhone assembler Wistron recently began exporting some iPhone 6s and iPhone 7 models from India to Europe (via The Economic Times). The iPhones are first being built in Wistron's ...

Apple has finalized a list of locations for its first retail store in India, according to sources who spoke to Bloomberg. The vetted locations are said to include several upscale sites in Mumbai that are comparable to iconic Apple stores on Fifth Avenue in New York, Regent Street in London, or the Champs-Elysees in Paris. A final decision on the plans is expected to come "in the next few...

Tik Tok, which was pulled from the App Store in India last week to comply with a government demand to block downloads over child safety concerns, is allowed to return to the App Store, reports Reuters. The southern state of Tamil Nadu had asked the Indian government to ban the TikTok app on the grounds that it encouraged pornography and could expose children to sexual predators, leading the...

Apple has removed TikTok from its App Store in India to comply with a government demand to block downloads of the video sharing app over child safety concerns. TikTok, developed by China-based Bytedance Technology, lets users create and share short-form videos enhanced with digital effects, a formula that has proved a huge hit in India. The app has been downloaded more than 240 million times ...

Foxconn is set to begin production of the iPhone X in India this July, according to a report by The Economic Times. Production will take place at Foxconn's Chennai plant in eastern India. According to an official with knowledge of the company's plans, Foxconn hopes to step up production capacity and "diversify to even higher models going forward." Today's report sees Foxconn's plans to move...

Apple has cut the price of all Apple Music plans in India, in a move apparently aimed at fending off rival streaming services like Spotify and YouTube Music, both of which recently launched in the country within the last month. ‌Apple Music‌ is now being offered for Rs 99 ($1.43) a month, down from the earlier price of Rs 120 ($1.73). Likewise, a student membership now costs Rs 49...

Apple has reportedly cut iPhone prices in India by around a quarter, following a similar move by the company in China. Sources who spoke to Reuters on Thursday said the price of an iPhone XR with 64GB storage has been reduced by at least 17,900 rupees ($259), taking into account a price cut and a credit card cashback campaign. "Apple is going to change their game," one of the people said,...