In addition to assembling iPhone from components made by other suppliers’ components, Apple assembly partner Wistron will also manufacture printed circuit boards for the devices.
Wistron recently announced its third manufacturing plant in India and is now expected to begin assembling iPhone printed circuit boards (PCBs) as well as finished phones.
Reuters reports two sources have told them that Wistron will be assembling PCBs in India. The PCB is the board that includes the processors, RAM, and other components that make up the internals of iPhones.
It’s a major step for Wistron, as a fully-assembled PCB represents approximately half the cost of an iPhone. This also indicates a significant increase in Apple manufacturing of devices in the region.
Wistron and Apple both haven’t commented on the report. Wistron has assembled the iPhone SE in Bengaluru since 2017 and more recently began assembling the iPhone 6S and iPhone 7. The new plant is expected to concentrate on the manufacturing of iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 devices.