While China is still responsible for the production of most Apple devices, the company has some assembly facilities around the world. world. One such facility is Foxconn Brazil, located in Sao Paulo. Apple is currently assembling the 6.1-inch iPhone 15 there.
iPhone 15 is now assembled in Brazil
As noted by Brazilian blog MacMagazine, Apple appears to be shipping the iPhone 15 assembled in Brazil. The company has not confirmed this news, and There's no explicit confirmation of this on Apple's website, but Apple's online store in Brazil does give customers a hint about which model they're purchasing.
When checking the iPhone 15 checkout web page URL, customers will now notice a part number ending in “BR/A,” which is used to identify Apple products assembled in Brazil. Most products are labeled “BE/A” or “BZ/A” to indicate that they were imported for sale in the country.
Interestingly, Apple has again decided to assemble the 6.1-inch iPhone model only in Brazil. The iPhone 15 Plus and both Pro models sold in the country continue to be imported from China. This may be because the entry-level model is likely the most popular in Brazil, given the high prices of iPhones in the South American country.
Brazil imposes high taxes on imported goods. For this reason, some companies invest in assembling their products in Brazil, as this provides lower taxes on the sale of these products. The 128GB iPhone 15 was released in Brazil for R$7,299 (about $1,460), but can now be found for just R$5,399 (about $1,080) at select retailers.
Apple diversifies its assembly chain
While assembling iPhones in Brazil benefits Brazilian customers, it also benefits Apple – And not just because of the opportunity to sell more iPhones. Having assembly capacity in other regions allows Apple to be less dependent on China and helps the company avoid supply shortages in the local market.
In addition to Brazil, Apple is also investing in its assembly capacity in India and other regions Vietnam: Last year, Indian customers were able to purchase iPhone 15 models assembled in India on the first day of sales.
