Apple's new iPhone 16 Pro, Pro Max to be made in India: first premium iPhone assembled in India

Apple has been making some of its iPhones in India for a while now, but rumor has it that higher-end iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max smartphones will be made in India for the first time ever.

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According to sources that spoke with Money Control, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be made in India. One of the sources said it's happening for Apple to "deepen its manufacturing capabilities with partners in India".

The source confirmed that for this generation of iPhone, Apple will "make sure the India-assembled iPhone 16 models are available in the country after the launch".

Apple's new iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models will soon undergo the "new product introduction" (NPI) process at Foxconn's facility in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. The NPI process should occur over the summer, but mass production of the iPhone 16 Pro models in India isn't expected until the iPhone 16 launch itself.

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We could expect the iPhone 16 launch to have initial launch supplies imported into India, before the India-made variants are made available sometime in 2025. India is a very important market for Apple, experiencing huge growth in the country. In July, Apple reported revenue from India increasing over the year by 33%, making $8 billion in revenue versus $6 billion in the previous year.

Not only that, but on July 23, the Indian government cut its import rate from 20% down to 15% which will bring the cost down of imported iPhones into India, but also for the components that are used for the assembly of the India-made iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro handsets.