Historically, Apple‘s products have mainly been manufactured and assembled out of China. Only in recent years has the company started downsizing its reliance on the Southeast Asian country and started shifting production lines to other regions nearby, like Vietnam. However, a new report suggests that the company has failed its iPhone 11 production in India, showcasing its continued reliance on China.
Reportedly, Apple executives had apparently planned on moving at least one product to Vietnam as well, but that move was denied by senior management. The reason was tied with the transfer to a new location and finding a viable supply being deemed “too challenging to undertake.” Similarly, the Cupertino based giant had planned on manufacturing iPhone 11 in India as well. This would’ve been a significant change in Apple’s operations as it would be the first new generation flagship series being made outside of China.
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However, Apple backed out of the plan and halted all ongoing efforts just before setting up a manufacturing line in India. According to a source close to the company, India was unsuitable since it had no ready supply of skilled workers or infrastructure that Apple required. Thus, the iPhone 11 was made in China instead. Furthermore, although the Coronavirus epidemic, which has primarily affected China, caused disruption in production for Apple. The company still has no immediate plans to shift its operations to other regions.
Apple’s suppliers and manufacturers, like Foxconn, have faced the brunt of the issues caused by the viral outbreak. This extends outside of China as well, including regions like South Korea, where Apple gets its camera modules. Hence, the company is also stressing that China is not the only place an iPhone is made from, and its a globally sourced product.
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