As part of the company’s continuing work to reduce its dependence on China, Apple has reportedly told suppliers that it has a preference for iPhone 16 batteries being made in India.
One battery supplier which already manufactures in India has been asked to scale-up production there, and Chinese suppliers have been urged to establish battery factories in the country …
Apple’s over-dependence on China
The decision to move most of Apple’s manufacturing operations to China was originally made by company co-founder Steve Jobs, and the establishment of a tightly-integrated supply-chain in the country was widely considered one of Tim Cook’s greatest accomplishments back when he was COO.
At the time, the strategy made a huge amount of sense, and was key to Apple’s success. Since then, however, a great deal has changed. As we’ve long argued, Apple’s dependence on China has turned from one of its greatest strengths to arguably its greatest weakness – for three reasons.
Being overly dependent on any one country is a strategic risk. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic originated there, and had a massive impact on manufacturing capacity. Anything from a natural disaster to political upheaval could disrupt operations within a single country, so it is always wise to have a diverse range of manufacturing centers around the world.
Second, the relationship between the US and China has often been fraught. The trade war started by the previous US administration was a particularly low point, but continued tensions mean that there is always a risk of disruptions to trade between the two countries.
Third, it is increasingly damaging to Apple’s reputation to be so closely associated with a country that has a worsening human rights record – especially when the iPhone maker has no choice but to comply with local laws, however much they may conflict with the company’s own values.
Producing iPhone 16 batteries in India
A Financial Times report says that Apple wants as many iPhone 16 batteries as possible to be made in India, not China.
The world’s most valuable company has informed component suppliers of its preference to source batteries for the forthcoming iPhone 16 from Indian factories, according to two people close to Apple.
Battery manufacturers, such as Desay of China, have been encouraged to establish new factories in India, while Simplo Technology, a Taiwanese battery supplier for Apple, has been asked to scale up production in India for future orders, said three people familiar with the situation.
Japanese battery supplier TDK is also prepping its own production in India.
An Indian government minister this week said TDK, a Japanese supplier for Apple, was setting up a 180-acre facility in Manesar in the state of Haryana to build battery cells that would be used in Indian-made iPhones. In a post on X, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, minister of state for electronics and IT, congratulated Apple, TDK and local officials for enabling the government’s “goal of deepening [the] electronics manufacturing ecosystem in India”.
That won’t be up-and-running in time for the iPhone 16, however – the company says it expects to begin local production in 2025.
Photo: iFixit
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