Lawyers squared off in a San Diego federal court last Friday in an initial hearing of Apple's lawsuit against Qualcomm, with the latter standing accused of antitrust violations and breach of contract.
Apple assembly partner Wistron is allegedly preparing to expand its production in India, setting the stage for a second-generation iPhone SE shipping in the first quarter of 2018.
Four of Apple's manufacturing partners — Hon Hai/Foxconn, Compal, Wistron, and Pegatron — have filed counterclaims against Qualcomm, accusing the chipmaker of violating two sections of the Sherman Antitrust Act.
Other than just battling the Indian government for concessions and dealing with the shaky financial situation of the populace, Apple is also fighting a large and aggressive Samsung presence in the country for the minds of the consumers.
In an apparent breach of Apple's secrecy protocols, Wistron's chief executive told reporters on Wednesday that this fall's anticipated "iPhone 7s Plus" will add wireless charging, and also improve on the water resistant design introduced with the iPhone 7 series.
The business realities of India as a market have pushed Apple to allow authorized vendors to cut prices dramatically in India on older phones, dating as far back as the iPhone 5.
India is reportedly willing to waive taxes on imported iPhone parts in exchange for the company helping to expand Wistron's manufacturing operations in Bengaluru, where the iPhone SE is currently being made.
Apple has finally started to assemble iPhones in India, the Cupertino company has confirmed, with local manufacturing partners said to have commenced production of the iPhone SE earlier this month, and initial shipments for domestic customers expected to take place within the next few weeks.
Chipmaker Qualcomm on Wednesday leveled a complaint against Foxconn and three other Apple manufacturing partners, accusing them of breaking licensing agreements by not paying due royalties.
Apple's Indian manufacturing will finally begin within the next 4 to 6 weeks at a Wistron plant in Bangalore — and more ambitious plans are already being hatched.
Foxconn's delayed plans to build a manufacturing plant in Maharashtra, India may finally bear fruit, with Foxconn executives reportedly meating with the region's Chief Minister to hammer out some details.
Apple's meeting with Indian government officials on Wednesday — aimed at setting up local iPhone manufacturing — was a "constructive and open dialogue," the company claimed in a statement.
Apple has indeed picked Wistron to be its first iPhone manufacturer in India, with plans to get the company working phones launching later this year, a report claimed on Monday — despite Apple having not yet secured a deal to set up Indian manufacturing.
Recent reports from the supply chain claim that frequent rumor target Wistron, the builder of the iPhone 5c and SE, has seized at least some future orders from Apple for future iPhone models — but what it will actually be tapped for is unclear.
Because of problems experienced by an initial supplier, Taiwan's Wistron is now handling at least some orders for the Touch Bar keyboard on the MacBook Pro, reports claimed on Tuesday.
A variety of Apple suppliers — including some stalwarts — are reportedly being hit by lower price quotes from the company, which is likewise said to be searching for new suppliers to maintain high profit margins on its products.
Like clockwork, Apple's well-established annual iPhone release cycle is on track once again, as a new report claims the company's suppliers are prepared to begin shipping the "iPhone 7" and "iPhone 7 Plus" by the end of the third quarter.
Both longtime Apple manufacturing partner Foxconn and newcomer Wistron are expected to handle assembly of the company's forthcoming 4-inch iPhone revamp, according to a new supply chain report.
The next-generation Apple Watch could go into trial production with Quanta later this month, paving the way for a launch in the not-too-distant future, according to rumors.
Apple is looking to pick up a second manufacturer for the next-generation Apple Watch apart from Quanta Computer, a Chinese report said on Thursday.
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Roger Fingas
Mike Wuerthele
Neil Hughes
Malcolm Owen
AppleInsider Staff
