According to the Financial Times, in order to promote a diversified supply chain strategy, Apple has notified suppliers that it prefers to purchase batteries for the iPhone 16 series of phones from Indian factories.
TrendForce believes that given the critical factor in user safety of battery components, there is no room for error in the process of assembling batteries, and India’s existing assembly capabilities still need to be questioned. TrendForce believes that there are many uncertainties and certain risks for Apple’s battery production in India.
As the world’s most valuable company, Apple’s supply chain strategy has been a key factor in its success. In recent years, with the support of the Indian government, Apple has actively expanded the production capacity of its cooperative factories in India.
TrendForce takes the iPhone 15 as an example to analyze the manufacturing distribution in 2023. Foxconn dominates and India’s Tata Group only produces specific Plus models.
TrendForce believes that as the iPhone’s core processor and camera module are updated every year, battery upgrades are significantly slowed down due to safety concerns.
This delay is attributed to the critical importance of battery component safety. Considering the potential risk to user safety, even minor errors in battery components can cause significant damage to smartphone brands.
With that in mind, Apple’s manufacturing distribution for the iPhone 15 series suggests that Apple may not be entirely confident about India’s production.
It was previously reported that Apple encourages battery manufacturers including China’s Desai to build new factories in India. People familiar with the matter revealed that Xinpu Technology has been asked to expand production in India to meet future order needs.
