You won’t know this, however Apple has been producing iPhone fashions in Brazil for fairly some time now. Foxconn has a manufacturing unit within the São Paulo countryside the place it manufactures low-end iPhone fashions. Nonetheless, as Apple continues to diversify its provide chain and cut back its reliance on China, it has been making iPhone 16e fashions not solely in India but in addition in Brazil.
Brazilian weblog MacMagazine was the primary to identify that Apple has been making the iPhone 16e within the nation, as a reader despatched them a photograph of the iPhone 16e field, highlighting that it was manufactured in Brazil. The weblog additionally discovered proof that the iPhone 16e has been in manufacturing in Brazil since day one, based on Brazil’s Anatel (a authorities company just like the FDA). Apple’s Brazil web page additionally revealed the ultimate half numbers of the iPhone 16e, which finish in BR/A, whereas the opposite iPhone 16 fashions have the BE/A ending.
That stated, even earlier than Trump’s tariffs took impact, Cupertino was already starting to diversify its provide chain away from China. This shift began through the pandemic when the iPhone 14 launch was delayed on account of a lockdown on the firm’s largest manufacturing unit, adopted by a employees’ strike. To keep away from comparable points sooner or later, the corporate started shifting a few of its manufacturing to India.
For instance, Apple was reportedly utilizing an Indian manufacturing unit to deal with early manufacturing work for the iPhone 17 base mannequin. This course of includes Indian employees translating a prototype designed in Cupertino into a tool that may be mass-produced. This part has historically been carried out in China, however Apple is now diversifying it to India as nicely.
Whereas Brazil represents an vital marketplace for Apple, the Foxconn manufacturing unit doesn’t seem to have grown a lot over the previous decade. Nonetheless, as navigating Trump’s second time period could be a problem for Apple in the long term, opting to make low-end units in Brazil may assist mitigate potential worth will increase within the US and different markets.
