Apple Moves iPhone 12 And iPad Production Outside Of China

Apple contractors have been gradually moving their iPhone and iPad assembly facilities outside of China for quite some time now, with Pegatron and Foxconn opening factories in India in particular.

According to the latest data from Nikkei, Apple partners continue to take iPhone and iPad production outside of China. Vietnam's iPad production is expected to kick off in the middle of this year, with an iPhone 12 assembly launching in India this quarter.

Prior to this, Indian media reported that Apple plans to launch the iPhone 12 line in India and Apple smartphones labeled "Made in India" are already ready to ship. The report also mentions that Wistron will begin production of the new iPhone 12 in Bangalore.

With a plan to invest about $40m, Wistron also wants to hire 10,000 employees for the new plant. The plant is expected to be fully operational by October this year, with about 1,000 workers already on the job.

Apple currently manufactures smartphones in India such as the iPhone 6S, iPhone XR and the new iPhone SE 2020. Sources say Apple is expanding local production because the iPhone hopes to reduce its dependence on China.

At the same time, the production of iPhones in India is unlikely to lead to lower prices for buyers, although companies pay noticeably lower taxes for local production.