Apple Begins Manufacturing of iPhone XR at Foxconn Facility in India: Report

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Retail boxes of Apple iPhone XR with “Assembled in India” tag have started arriving at many retail outlets in India, confirming that Apple has started assembling the iPhone XR in India. Various reports suggest that the device is being assembled at Foxconn’s manufacturing plants in India. However, there is no information if it is being assembled at the manufacturing plant in Andhra Pradesh, or that in Tamil Nadu or both.

Apple Has Lowered the Price Of iPhone XR in India

As Apple is assembling the iPhone XR in India, it has to pay lower taxes on the device, compared to what it used to pay for the imported unit. And that reflects in the new price tag of the iPhone XR – INR 49,900 for the 64GB unit. The market price, however, is even lower. Unfortunately, we still don’t know the official price of the 128GB unit of the iPhone XR that is being assembled in India.

Local Assembly Will Help Apple Open Its Own Retail Stores in India

As most of you might know, Apple doesn’t have a company-owned retail store in India. And that is because the Indian government requires a certain amount of local sourcing percentage for any brand to allow it to have its own stores. Well, now that Apple has started assembling the iPhone XR in India, its local sourcing percentage will increase drastically, taking the brand one step closer to opening its own stores.


Moving Manufacturing/Assembly to India Will Help Apple Amidst US-China Trade War

That’s not all. The decision to assemble the iPhone XR in India will also help the brand manage its production amidst the ongoing US-China trade war. Moreover, now that Apple is assembling the iPhone XR in India, it opens up new scope for the manufacturing/assembly of its other iPhone models in India, including the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and the iPhone 11 Pro Max. Overall, it is a win-win for Apple.