Import tariffs are part of the reason why iPhones
are so expensive in India. To get around that, Apple started manufacturing the
iPhone SE locally and the iPhone 6s is following suit. It is being manufactured
at the Bengaluru facility of Winstron, which also makes the SE.
Since production only just started, Apple will need
to import iPhone 6s units for a while longer until capacity can meet demand.
But “made in India” units will soon hit stores, one executive said.
Unfortunately, there is no planned price cut.
Apple is reportedly looking into adding more models
to the roster of locally-produced iPhones with trial production runs starting
soon. The previous trial runs started in April and covered models from the
iPhone 6 and 6s generations, which (according to Counterpoint) make up 33% of
total iPhone sales in India. The iPhone SE accounts for 15%.
This move is in response to increased tariffs
(import duty on smartphones was set to 20% in February) and to recover lost
ground in the premium segment, which is currently lead by Samsung and OnePlus
(Apple is in third).
