iPhone 17 Being Developed in India: What to Expect From Base Model

Apple's manufacturing partner Foxconn is conducting early development of the base iPhone 17 at a factory in Bengaluru, India, according to The Information's Wayne Ma. This is considered to be a "milestone" for Apple's manufacturing efforts in India.

iphone 16 teal
The paywalled report said this iPhone 17 model has already passed an early development stage, as Apple evaluates whether India-based engineers can develop iPhone prototypes that match the quality of those built at its California headquarters. Apple's goal is to start developing new iPhones as early as possible in locations closer to where final assembly takes place, which could result in lower operating costs for the company.

The report does not reveal any new features or changes planned for the iPhone 17, but Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu outlined some features that he expects for the base model in a research note earlier this month:

  • 6.1-inch display
  • A19 chip
  • 8GB of RAM
  • An upgraded 24-megapixel front camera
  • Two rear cameras, including a 48-megapixel Fusion and 12-megapixel Ultra Wide
  • Aluminum casing

Based on these specs, the base iPhone 17 will not be a major upgrade over the iPhone 16.

The primary development locations for the rumored ultra-thin iPhone 17, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will still be in China, according to the report. Pu believes the ultra-thin iPhone 17 will feature a single 48-megapixel rear camera, 8GB of RAM, and more, while the iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to feature a 48-megapixel Telephoto camera, 12GB of RAM, and more. The devices should launch next September.

Related Roundups: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Rumored to Include These New Features for Your iPhone

Saturday March 1, 2025 11:00 am PST by
iOS 19 is still around three months away from being unveiled, but there are plenty of rumors about the upcoming update. Below, we recap iOS 19 rumors so far. Redesigned Camera App A leak earlier this year allegedly revealed a redesigned Camera app coming with iOS 19. On his YouTube channel Front Page Tech in January, Jon Prosser shared a video showing what the new Camera app will...
iOS 18

Apple Says iOS 18.4 Will Be Released in April With These New Features

Wednesday February 26, 2025 7:15 am PST by
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 18.4 will be released in April. From the Apple News+ Food announcement:Coming with iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 in April, Apple News+ subscribers will have access to Apple News+ Food, a new section that will feature tens of thousands of recipes — as well as stories about restaurants, healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more — from the...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Latest iPhone 17 Series CAD Images in Line With Redesign Rumors

Friday February 28, 2025 2:51 am PST by
Apple is expected to embrace a new camera system design for some models in its upcoming iPhone 17 series, and the latest purported CAD images don't deviate from what we have been hearing lately about Apple's new lineup. If you do not like the sound of an iPhone with a Google Pixel-style camera bar, look away now. Seasoned leaker Sonny Dickson shared the following images in a post on X...
apple intelligence black

These New Apple Intelligence Features Are Coming in iOS 18.4

Friday February 28, 2025 3:17 pm PST by
iOS 18.4 was supposed to bring new Apple Intelligence Siri features, but Apple ended up needing to pull those capabilities from the update to continue testing. There are fewer new Apple Intelligence additions now, but there are still some new features that will make the update worth installing when it comes out in April. Priority Notifications Apple introduced Priority Notifications back at ...
iphone 16e usb c feature

Apple Provides Reason for iPhone 16e's Lack of MagSafe

Friday February 28, 2025 4:39 am PST by
Apple has offered a reason why the iPhone 16e doesn't include MagSafe, one of the more notable omissions from its latest entry-level smartphone. According to Apple representatives who spoke to Daring Fireball's John Gruber, MagSafe is not included in the iPhone 16e because "most people in the iPhone 16e's target audience exclusively charge their phones by plugging them into a charging...
Apple AirPort Routers

Apple's Discontinued Line of AirPort Wi-Fi Routers Could Return in an Unexpected Way

Saturday March 1, 2025 10:00 am PST by
Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Apple offered a line of Wi-Fi routers that it referred to as AirPort base stations. There was a standard AirPort Express, a higher-end AirPort Extreme with more advanced networking features, and an AirPort Time Capsule that doubled as an external storage drive for backing up a Mac with Time Machine. Apple discontinued the AirPort line in 2018, but the company...
apple c1

How Fast is Apple's First-Ever 5G Modem? The Results Are Surprising

Friday February 28, 2025 10:08 am PST by
iPhone 16e reviews are now out, and Apple's custom-designed C1 modem has been put to the test. The results so far are quite surprising, as the C1's speeds are not as slow compared to Qualcomm modems as originally expected. While the C1 does not support ultra-fast mmWave 5G in the U.S., it appears to offer comparable 5G performance to Qualcomm's Snapdragon X71 modem found in the iPhone 16,...
Apple MacBook Air 2 up hero 240304 feature

New MacBook Air Announcement Reportedly 'Imminent' — Here's When

Sunday March 2, 2025 5:40 am PST by
With the iPhone 16e now in the hands of customers, Apple reportedly plans to move on to its next product announcement in the coming days. Apple plans to announce new MacBook Air models with the M4 chip "as early as this week," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "I expect the M4 MacBook Air to be introduced as early as this week," said Gurman, in a post shared on X today. "Inventory has ...
airpods pro purple

Here's When AirPods Pro 3 Are Rumored to Launch

Monday February 24, 2025 9:14 am PST by
According to a post on X today from a leaker known as Kosutami, Apple plans to launch AirPods Pro 3 in May or June this year. The leaker also claimed that an AirTag 2 will launch around the same time. Kosutami is best known as a collector of prototype Apple hardware, but they have occasionally shared accurate information about Apple's future product plans. For example, they accurately...

Top Rated Comments

turbineseaplane Avatar
18 weeks ago

Based on these specs, the base iPhone 17 will not be a major upgrade over the iPhone 16.
M.O.S. I call it ...

"more of same"

I wonder how many more years Apple can get away with rearranging the deck chairs and slightly tweaking the camera?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
everlast3434 Avatar
18 weeks ago
The bright side is, there's no charger in the box because Apple cares about the environment.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
applyr Avatar
18 weeks ago
So it's the iPhone 16 with a new selfie camera and just being manufactured in India.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CJM Avatar
18 weeks ago

Apple's goal is to start developing new iPhones as early as possible in locations closer to where final assembly takes place, which could result in lower operating costs for the company.

A company like Apple shouldn't be inhibited by distance affecting Dev -> assembly of their devices. I wonder what the words between the lines are.
Legislation. Apple sees India as a big new market and operating there requires investment in the country.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
spcopsmac21 Avatar
18 weeks ago

M.O.S. I call it ...

"more of same"

I wonder how many more years Apple can get away with rearranging the deck chairs and slightly tweaking the camera?
As long as people keep paying.

My iPhone 14PM bit the dust and I was forced to get a new 16PM because I need the camera.


And honestly it does not feel like an upgrade. Aside from the button on the side I feel like a just paid full price for a new iPhone 14PM in 2024……

If Apple pulls this again I feel like there will be a revolt.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pugxiwawa Avatar
18 weeks ago

Based on these specs, the base iPhone 17 will not be a major upgrade over the iPhone 16.
It's a yearly competition how small increments Apple can make them and people will still buy
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)