Apple iPhone 17 production to leave China for the first time ever

Apple could manufacture the iPhone 17 exclusively in India, leaving China behind for the first time, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Almost all the Apple products you use, iPhones, AirPods, Macs, and iPads, are manufactured in some factory deep in mainland China. But Apple understands reliance on China alone can pose a problem and it started to slowly move its productions over to India in 2020.

In 2023, India accounts for around 7 % of Apple’s total manufacturing output. This number may soon see a massive bump as an analyst claims the iPhone 17, launching in 2025, will be developed and produced exclusively not in China, but in India for the first time.

Apple is betting big on India

Ming-Chi Kuo

Analyst Ming-Chi, known for his accurate Apple-related predictions, says the standard iPhone 17 will be produced in India in the second half of 2024.

“It will be the first time for Apple to begin development of a new iPhone model outside of China. The standard iPhone is chosen for its lower-difficulty design development to reduce design risk,” writes the analyst in their blog post on Medium.

The iPhone 17 Pro models will still be manufactured in China as they have higher difficulty of development and Apple doesn’t want to take a risk, suggests Kuo.

Of course, there are still around two years before you’ll see the iPhone 17 models. Apple should launch them sometime in the fall of 2025. Before that, the Cupertino company will unveil the iPhone 16 in 2024.

The upcoming iPhone 16 series could bring an extra button and a solid-state action button. All models could be powered by the A18 Pro chip.