iPhone 17 is reportedly already being prototyped in India

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Apple’s manufacturing partner, Foxconn, has already started developing the base iPhone 17 in a plant in Bengaluru, India.

As first reported by The Information, It is considered a milestone in Apple’s manufacturing ambitions in India.

According to the report, the iPhone 17 model has already passed the early development stage.

Apple seems to have assessesed that India-based engineers can create iPhone prototypes of comparable quality to those made at its California headquarters.

iPhone 17 is reportedly already in the works in India

Apple has taken a significant step in diversifying its manufacturing efforts by shifting part of its iPhone 17 development and testing process to India.

This marks the first time Apple has conducted such manufacturing tests for iPhones outside of China. 

Traditionally, Apple’s new products are developed in California, with manufacturing concentrated in China.

However, with a recent push to decentralize its production base, the company is using an Indian factory for early-stage manufacturing tests of the base model of the iPhone 17. 

This initiative includes refining materials and production methods that allow the iPhone 17 prototype design to be manufactured at scale.

Apple’s New Product Introduction (NPI) process, a key phase that ensures devices are prepared for mass production, has typically been conducted in China. 

Now, testing is happening at a Foxconn facility in Bangalore for the iPhone 17’s base model, although the NPI for the iPhone 17 Pro models continues in China.

The iPhone 17 has already passed an early phase, known as proto-1, in which thousands of units are produced to evaluate build quality.

Apple’s team working on this effort includes Indian and international engineers from Apple and Foxconn. They are testing production techniques and material usage.

Besides this, recent leaks gave us a rough idea of what to expect from the iPhone 17. However, the latest report reveals quite a bit of details about the iPhone 17 hardware configurations.

The iPhone 17 will feature a 6.1-inch display and draw power from the A19 chip paired with 8GB RAM.

It will ship with a dual rear camera setup featuring a 48MP Fusion sensor and a 12MP ultrawide lens. The front camera will get an upgraded 24MP snapper.

What are your thoughts on Apple’s diversification with its manufacturing? We would love to hear your thoughts below in the comments, or via our Twitter or Facebook.