Chennai: Apple has started testing its flagship iPhone 13 at the Foxconn plant near Chennai. This giant American company is now ready to make almost all its best-selling smartphone models in India. The company expects to start commercial production of the iPhone 13 in India by February for both the domestic market and exports.
Apple has ensured the supply of semiconductor chips in India, which are in short supply across the world. This will help the company to expand its production in India. Production of the iPhone 13 in India will help Apple improve the supply of the model in its global markets. Because about 20-30% produced in India is usually exported.
Sources said the supply of the best-selling iPhone has improved, bridging its huge shortage in the Indian market. In the iPhone 13 series, the iPhone 13 is the best-selling model in the country. Hence the company is not planning to make iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max in India.
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In total sales, the lower priced models like iPhone 11 and 12 contribute the most sales in India. Apple is already producing the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 at the Foxconn plant and the iPhone SE at the Wistron plant in Bengaluru. As per estimates, Apple in India produces about 70% of the smartphones sold in the country.
Navkendra Singh, Research Director, market tracker IDC India, said that Apple is making a new iPhone model locally within 3-4 months of its launch in the country. The company launched the iPhone 13 in the country in late September in the first phase of its global rollout. Singh said, “Significant increase in local production will depend on the availability of spare parts. Local production of iPhone 13 in India may slightly offset the short supply in the country.”
According to Counterpoint Research, Apple was the fastest growing smartphone brand in the July-September quarter with 212% year-on-year growth and led the premium smartphone market (handsets priced above Rs 30,000) with 44% share. The brand maintained its leading position in the ultra-premium segment (handsets priced above Rs 45,000) with a 74% share.
Apple has become the top 5G smartphone brand in the premium segment for the first time. Apple is in high demand in India with many consumers buying an iPhone or iPad tablet or Mac computer due to work and study from home since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Apple India posted a five-year high of 68% to increase its revenue to Rs 22,845 crore in 2020-21, while overall profit jumped 32% to Rs 1,226 crore in 2020-21, according to its latest regulatory filing.