First ‘Assembled in India’ iPhone SE Models Begin Appearing in Bengaluru

It’s been known for a while now that Apple had plans to build iPhone SE models in India. Now, the first models constructed in the India, built by Apple partner Wistron, are officially on sale in various cities around the country.

According to the Hindustan Times, the devices–which went on sale last Friday–are marked with the usual “Designed by Apple in California,” which is now followed by the phrase “Assembled in India.” An Apple spokesperson last May said the company would initially produce just a “small number” of Indian-made iPhone SE models.

Taiwanese company Wistron, an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of Apple worldwide, has shipped a few thousand iPhone SE units out of its facility in Bengaluru’s industrial hub of Peenya. India will be only the third country to assemble iPhones, underscoring how important it has become for one of the world’s most valued companies.

With sales tapering in the US and China, Apple is eyeing India — the fastest-growing smartphone market in the world — and looking to set up a local manufacturing unit to cut costs. It, however, does not make devices on its own and does it through contract manufacturers.

The new, Indian-made iPhone SE models have not yet seen price reductions in the country, despite Apple’s in-country manufacturing goals to list the device at a relative-to-the-country lower price point.

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