Apple to manufacture iPhone 14 in India: Will the phone get cheaper

New Delhi, Sep 26: Apple's newest phone iPhone 14 will be made in India as the global tech titan bets big on the manufacturing prowess of the world's second-biggest smartphone market after China.

Cupertino, California-headquartered Apple started manufacturing iPhones in India in 2017 with iPhone SE. Today, Apple manufactures some of its most advanced iPhones in the country including iPhone SE, iPhone 12, iPhone 13 and, now, iPhone 14, news agency PTI reported.

Earlier this month, Apple Inc unveiled its latest iPhone series -- the iPhone 14 models - with an improved camera, powerful sensors and satellite messaging feature to send SOS texts in emergencies.

The new lineup has four models: iPhone 14, Plus, Pro and ProMax.

According to sources, the Made-in-India iPhone 14 will begin to reach local customers in the next few days. Phones manufactured in India will be both for the Indian market and exports.

The iPhone 14 will be shipped from Foxconn's Sriperumbudur facility on the outskirts of Chennai.

Foxconn is the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer and major iPhone assembler.

When contacted, Apple in a statement to PTI said: "We're excited to be manufacturing iPhone 14 in India." "The new iPhone 14 lineup introduces groundbreaking new technologies and important safety capabilities," it said.

The iPhone 14 was launched on September 7, 2022, and is available to customers in India simultaneously with the US, among other markets, since September 16, 2022.

The question now is will the iPhone get cheaper in India considered it is being manufactured locally?

The answer is no. Apple usually does not cut the global pricing for a local market. Even when the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 were assembled locally, Apple dud not officially announce a cut in prices.

Apple however offers discounts in partnerships with some banks. It also offers discounts on third party platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart. While nothing has been confirmed so far, the case could be the same in the case of the iPhone 14 as well.

Another reason why there is unlikely to be a price cut is because only the phone will be assembled in India which means there is hardly any local sourcing of the components. Due to this the cost of production will not really drop. Hence in a nutshell there are unlikely to be any change in the pricing of the iPhone 14.