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.
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.
