Foxconn brings iPhone 17 parts to India, trial assembly to start this month

Apple supplier Foxconn Technology Group has begun importing key components from China to India for the assembly of the upcoming iPhone 17, The Economic Times reported. These imports, which include essential parts like display assemblies, cover glass, mechanical housings, and integrated rear camera modules, are likely intended for trial production, as their volume is significantly smaller compared to shipments for older models, the news report said.

Customs records show that about 10 per cent of Foxconn’s imports from China in June were components for the iPhone 17. The bulk of the components were for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 16 models, which Apple is gearing up to sell in larger volumes during the upcoming festive season in India, the news report said.

Production timeline set for iPhone 17 launch

The news report stated that trial production for the iPhone 17 will begin this month, with full-scale mass production scheduled to start in August. The official launch is expected in September.

Apple is reportedly aiming to manufacture the iPhone 17 simultaneously in India and China, marking a strategic shift in its global production strategy. India is becoming increasingly significant as an export base for Apple, particularly for shipments to the US — a move influenced by the steep tariffs imposed on Chinese imports by the Donald Trump administration.

India’s growing role in Apple’s supply chain

The tech giant is planning a complete transition of sourcing iPhones for the US market from China to India by 2026, despite US government pressure to localise production domestically.

Over the past few years, Apple has been closing the production timeline gap between its Chinese and Indian facilities. While the iPhone 14 began production in India six weeks after China, the iPhone 15 was manufactured nearly simultaneously in both countries, the news report said.

By 2024, India had been integrated into Apple’s New Product Introduction (NPI) process for the base iPhone 16 model, breaking China’s long-standing exclusivity.

Foxconn pulls back Chinese engineers, raises production concerns

Foxconn Technology Group has reportedly started

sending hundreds of Chinese engineers and technicians back to China from its iPhone manufacturing facilities in India. This move could impact the production schedule of the iPhone 17, which is expected to launch in mid-September, Business Standard had reported.

The development comes at a crucial time as Foxconn, Apple’s biggest contract manufacturer, is actively expanding its operations in India. New assembly units, including one in Bengaluru, are currently under construction.

It is believed that the decision to pull out staff may have been influenced by the Chinese government's push to strengthen its own manufacturing ecosystem. There are also signs that China wants to keep certain manufacturing technologies within the country. Reports suggest that Chinese Customs are delaying the release of important machines needed to upgrade Indian production lines for the iPhone 17. These machines are crucial for preparing assembly lines to handle new models like the iPhone 17.