The next iPhone will still be made in China, but Apple’s main assembler Foxconn will have to share the work, report says
- Foxconn may lose some iPhone 15 work to other Chinese manufacturers after it failed to deliver iPhone 14s last November due to Covid disruptions
- New arrangement marks the first time Apple has tapped three suppliers to produce premium iPhones, highlighting efforts to smooth the supply chain
Apple's next iPhone model will still be made in China by Foxconn Technology Group, but the company that operates the world’s largest iPhone factory in the central city of Zhengzhou will have to share the overall production with new suppliers, according to a Taiwan-based newspaper.
Luxshare, which was founded by a former Foxconn employee and has begun to assemble certain Apple products in recent years, is a major beneficiary for production of the iPhone 15 series, the report said.
Shenzhen-based Luxshare has won orders to make three of the four iPhone 15 models for the California-based tech giant, including the entry-level version and premium models like the iPhone 15 Plus, according to the report, which cited sources close to the suppliers.
Apple is reportedly launching four models this year, including the iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro and its priciest model – the 15 Pro Max or Ultra – that will be exclusively assembled by Foxconn.
It is the first time that Luxshare, which started out making cables for Apple and only began iPhone production in 2020 after it acquired two Chinese plants owned by Taiwan’s Wistron Corp, has been awarded manufacturing orders for three upcoming iPhone models in a given year. The move signals the mainland manufacturer’s rising clout in Apple’s China-based manufacturing supply chain.