Taiwan-based contract electronics maker Wistron Corp (緯創) is preparing to expand its production base in India to produce the next generation of iPhones, the iPhone SE series, according to sources in the South Asian country.
The sources told CNA on Thursday that Apple Inc has set its sights on the growing Indian market by pushing for shipments of the smaller smartphone model in a bid to double the iPhone’s market share in the country over the next five years.
Apple has signed up Wistron to assemble the iPhone SE after the Taiwanese firm started to produce the model in India in May, targeting markets around the world, the sources said.
The sources said that the Taiwanese firm has been preparing to add a new iPhone SE production line to its plant in Bengaluru, capital of the state of Karnataka.
Wistron is in talks with the Karnataka government about an extra piece of land for its production expansion, hoping it will double or even triple its production capacity over the next five years, the sources said.
Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook said in an investors’ conference on Aug. 1 that his company has committed more energy and money to growth in the Indian market.
Apple is upbeat about the Indian market, expecting that India will become “the next China,” Cook said.
According to the sources, Wistron is expected to start shipping the new iPhone SE, which is expected to be more affordable than larger iPhones, in the first quarter of next year.
Wistron would ship to the Indian market first before providing the products to consumers in other markets, they said.
Tekz24Tekz24, an India-based tech Web site, said that the new iPhone SE will look like its predecessor and will be equipped with the A10 processor, iOS 11 and a display of 4 to 4.2 inches.
The new model will have 32GB and 128GB storage options, with a 1700mAh battery, it said.
The sources said the device would receive a 10 percent exemption to the basic customs duty, making the product more competitive in the Indian market.
Two other Taiwanese contract electronics makers, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) and Pegatron Corp (和碩), are believed to be contracted for the larger models of the next-generation iPhone.
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