"India-made iPhones Won't Be Sold in China," Apple's China Courtship

Decided to Sell Only 'Made in China' in Chinese Market
Apple Increases Share of India Production Line

Apple has announced that it will not sell iPhone 15 units assembled in India in China. This is interpreted as a 'drastic measure' to target the Chinese market, where recent growth has stagnated.

According to Chinese media outlet 'IT Zizhe' on the 4th (local time), Apple stated through its official Chinese social networking service (SNS) that "all legally certified iPhone 15 series sold on the Chinese mainland are assembled and produced in China."

Apple produces the iPhone series through the Taiwan-based global electronics outsourcing company Foxconn. In the past, Foxconn's iPhone factories were established only in China, but recently, production lines have been diversified to countries such as India.

Apple recently announced on Chinese social networking services (SNS) that the entire iPhone 15 series sold in the Chinese market will be limited to products made in China. [Image source= SNS capture]

It has been reported that some of the iPhone series purchased by Chinese consumers were made in India. Regarding this, IT Zizhe reported, "During the iPhone 14 period, there were times when the iPhone 14 and Pro models sold in China were made in India."

However, considering Chinese consumers' unfavorable sentiment toward India, it appears that starting with the iPhone 15 series, only 'Made in China' iPhones will be sold exclusively in the Chinese market.

There is also an interpretation that this decision targets the currently booming 'patriotic consumption' trend in China. In fact, the latest smartphone from Chinese telecommunications manufacturer Huawei, the Mate 60 Pro, achieved great success despite being unveiled around the same time as the iPhone 15.

Due to the rebound of domestic Chinese companies, the growth momentum of the iPhone in the Chinese market seems to be slowing down. According to market research firm GfK, the initial sales volume of the iPhone 15 series in China decreased by 6% compared to the same period last year.

Apple Plans to Continuously Expand the Proportion of Production Lines in India

Separately, Apple plans to continue increasing the proportion of production lines in India. According to Guo Mingqi, an analyst at TF International Securities, about 12-14% of all iPhone series this year are expected to be produced in India, and this proportion will expand to 20-25% next year.

Apple has partnered with several Indian companies to establish smartphone production lines within India. Pegatron and Tata Group are entrusted with the contract manufacturing of the iPhone series. Additionally, Foxconn has invested $500 million (approximately 656 billion KRW) to establish a factory in India.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.