It underscores India’s growing production prowess, and reflect a significant departure from Apple’s previous strategy of selling mostly Chinese-made new devices to frenzied customers
Mumbai, NFAPost: For the first time, the new iPhone model you buy on the launch day could be made in India. The mobile device comes with improved hardware and software capabilities along with some very recent top-tier console games, including the Resident Evil 4 remake, Resident Evil Village, and Death Stranding.
Apple Inc. plans to make the India-built iPhone 15 available in the South Asian country and some other regions on the global sales debut day, people familiar with the matter said.
While the vast majority of iPhone 15s will come from China, that would be the first time a latest generation, India-assembled device is available on the first day of sale, they said, asking not to be identified as the matter is private.
Apple announced iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, featuring an industry-first colour-infused back glass with a stunning, textured matte finish, and a new contoured edge on the aluminium enclosure.
Both models feature the Dynamic Island, and an advanced camera system designed to help users take fantastic photos of everyday moments in their lives. A powerful 48MP Main camera enables super-high-resolution photos and a new 2x Telephoto option to give users a total of three optical zoom levels — like having a third camera.
The iPhone 15 lineup also introduces the next generation of portraits, making it easier to capture portraits with great detail and low-light performance. With A16 Bionic for powerful, proven performance; a USB‑C connector; Precision Finding for Find My friends; and industry-leading durability features, iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus represent a huge leap forward.
It would also underscore India’s growing production prowess, and reflect a significant departure from Apple’s previous strategy of selling mostly Chinese-made new devices to frenzied customers across the world. The new iPhone 15 is expected to go on sale in the days or weeks after its unveiling, slated for 10 a.m. California time on Tuesday.
Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing Kaiann Drance said iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus represent a huge leap forward with exciting camera innovations that inspire creativity, the intuitive Dynamic Island, and the A16 Bionic chip for proven powerful performance.
“We’re also pushing the power of computational photography to new levels this year with a 48MP Main camera featuring a new 24MP default for super-high-resolution photos, a new 2x Telephoto option, and next-generation portraits,” said Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing Kaiann Drance.
Available in 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch display sizes,1 iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus feature the Dynamic Island, an innovative way to interact with important alerts and Live Activities. The elegant experience fluidly expands and adapts so users can see the next direction in Maps; easily control music; and, with third-party app integrations, get real-time updates on food delivery, ride sharing, sports scores, travel plans, and more.
The Super Retina XDR display is great for watching content, streaming Apple Fitness+ workouts, and playing games. Peak HDR brightness now reaches up to 1600 nits so HDR photos and videos look better than ever. And when it is sunny, peak outdoor brightness reaches up to 2000 nits — twice as bright as the previous generation.
The advanced camera system on iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus helps users capture everyday moments and cherished memories. A 48MP Main camera shoots sharp photos and videos while capturing fine details, with a quad-pixel sensor and 100 percent Focus Pixels for fast autofocus. Using the power of computational photography, the Main camera gives users a new 24MP super-high-resolution default, offering incredible image quality at a practical file size ideal for storing and sharing.
By intelligently integrating hardware and software, an additional 2x Telephoto option gives users three optical-quality zoom levels — 0.5x, 1x, 2x — for the first time on an iPhone dual-camera system.
Cupertino, California-based Apple began iPhone 15 production at supplier Foxconn Technology Group’s factory in southern Tamil Nadu state last month. That move was yet another effort by the US tech giant to further narrow the gap between its India operations and its main manufacturing bases in China.
Slight delays with the India-built device could occur because of unforeseen logistics bottlenecks, the people said. Apple representatives didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Apple is set to introduce the iPhone 15, updated watches and AirPods at a gala event at its US headquarters. Sales of new products begin typically around 10 days after the unveiling.
Before the iPhone 14, Apple assembled just a fraction of its global output in India, which lagged behind China production by six to nine months. That delay was drastically reduced last year to just weeks, and Apple has increased the proportion of iPhones it assembles in India to reach 7% at the end of March.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s financial incentives to boost local manufacturing and Apple’s strategy to look beyond China amid a Washington-Beijing trade war have helped India become increasingly important to the iPhone maker’s diversification drive.
The iPhone 15 is expected to be the biggest update to the device in three years. It will include upgrades to the camera system across the range, and the Pro models will gain an improved 3-nanometer processor. The new lineup is critical to reviving flagging sales. Apple in August reported its third straight quarter of declining sales, weighed down by tepid consumer demand in key markets like the US, China and Europe.
Other Apple suppliers in India — Pegatron Corp. and a Wistron Corp. factory that is soon being acquired by the Tata Group — will also likely soon assemble the iPhone 15, Bloomberg News has reported.
Apple, which opened its first India stores this year, views the fast-growing market as both a retail opportunity and an important production base for its gadgets in the longer term. In the quarter through June, iPhone sales in India grew at a double-digit rate to a new high, Apple said without revealing precise numbers.
Agencies
