First Batch of Made in India Apple iPhone SE to Hit Stores Soon
The Cupertino-based giant is finally set to kick off its made in India iPhone journey in 2017.
advertisement
Apple is all set to roll out its first batch of made in India iPhone SE which is expected to be available as early as this month. According to a Wall Street Journal report, Apple has completed the trial run of assembling iPhone in India for the first time.
Also Read: Apple to Make in India: iPhone SE to be Assembled at Bengaluru
The manufacturing rights of iPhone SE in India belong to Wistron Corp, which has set up its plant in Bengaluru earlier in 2017. Now one hopes that locally producing the iPhone could help bring its price down in the country.
Also Read: Review: Apple iPhone SE – New-ish Wine, Old Bottle?
If Apple manages to retail the iPhone SE 32GB for around Rs 20,000 in India, it is bound to appeal to many buyers who’ve always dreamed of owing this iOS-running device.
This could directly change the companies fortune in India. As things stand, Apple currently ranks 10th among other brands in the Indian market, which is led by Samsung, as highlighted by a recent IDC report.
Also Read: Made in India iPhones: Apple Seeks Govt Nod for Manufacturing
With sales tapering in the US and China, Apple is eyeing India – the fastest growing smartphone market in the world – and is looking to set up a local manufacturing unit to cut costs.
The assembling process is seen as a stepping stone towards its bigger aim of locally manufacturing in the country, from scratch. But for that, Tim Cook and Co are looking for some leniency from the Indian government.
Also Read: Apple Welcome to Make iPhones in India, Says Ravi Shankar Prasad
The tech giant has already been exempted from the condition which stated that they had to source components locally. Apple hopes to roll-out full-fledged manufacturing from 2018, especially now that the iPhone assembly phase is all set to take off.
Union Information and Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has already welcomed Apple to make iPhone in the country.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)