Apple plans to launch the iPhone 15 next September with a multi-pronged production strategy almost from the start. Problems like in 2022, which were caused by massive delivery problems with the popular iPhone 14 Pro models, should no longer exist. The strategy: Instead of just in China, the smartphone should roll off the assembly line in India very quickly.
weeks instead of months
According to Taiwan-based Economic Daily News, 2023 is said to be just “a couple of weeks” before production begins in India. It was still months away. This is said to have been decided as part of the so-called NPI phase for the iPhone 15. In the New Product Introduction mass production is being prepared; Manufacturers like Foxconn receive the first detailed briefings on the structure of the hardware.
According to EDN, the information also included Apple’s desire to align production start times between China and India. At the moment there are still six or more months between them. At the same time, Apple’s manufacturers in India are investing in new capacity, even if it won’t be fully online for a few years.
Pro models from India too?
Apple put everything on one card last year with the popular iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max models: the devices only rolled off the assembly line in Zhengzhou in China. A massive COVID wave, including lockdown and worker protests, meant that Apple had to admit in November that it could deliver significantly less in the Christmas business. However, it is still unclear whether India will also be allowed to build iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max (alternative name: 15 Ultra). Apple is currently still pursuing the course of involving other Chinese manufacturers.
Four iPhones are expected again in 2023 – in addition to the 15 Pro Max/Ultra and 15 Pro, there is also a 15 and a 15 Plus. Recently it was said that Apple could do the Pro models more expensive in order to achieve a stronger differentiation from the standard models. This year, the iPhone 14 Pro cost just $100 more than the iPhone 14 Ultra in the US market.
(bsc)
