Foxconn, one of Apple’s long-time partners in the iPhone manufacturing, has been making rounds to adjust iPhone assembly. The company has been expanding outside China for years with plants in India, Vietnam, and Brazil. The move started when Apple realized that it couldn’t be too reliant on China manufacturing due to the tensions between the US and China. Now that things are escalating in an unprecedented manner, Foxconn seems to be making some adjustments. A recent rumor suggested that Apple was looking to expand iPhone manufacturing in Brazil. Now, a new report indicates that the iPhone 16e units sold in Brazil are manufactured locally at the Foxconn factory in Jundiaí, São Paulo.
As per a report from MacMagazine, the retail boxes of the iPhone 16e sold in Brazil feature an “Assembled in Brazil – Brazilian Industry” tag. The devices come with the A3409 model number and MD1R4BR/A identifier. Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Foxconn has adopted a local manufacturer in Brazil. The giant has been assembling the iPhone SE 2020, as well as the vanilla iPhone 13, 14, 15, and 16 models in the country. In light of the recent move adopted by Trump’s administration, the so-called Liberation Day tariffs, Apple wants to expand its presence in countries with more favorable tariffs, and Brazil’s 10% import tax (for manufacturers) is one of the lowest.
iPhone 16e specs recap
For those unaware, the iPhone 16e arrives as a blend of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 16 in design and features. In fact, the device arrives as the new iPhone SE, but dropping the letter S. The device has a 6.1-inch OLED display and a notch for the TrueDepth Camera system. It has an aluminum frame with square-off edges, a Ceramic Shield display, a single-lens rear camera, and an A18 chip with support for Apple Intelligence. The storage starts at 128 GB and goes up to 512 GB. It has a 6.1-inch Super Retina OLED XDR display and Ceramic Shield technology.
The iPhone 16e costs about $599, which is $200 less than the iPhone 16. It is $170 more than the prior iPhone SE, which was priced at $429. The device stands as Apple’s cheapest iPhone, however, it’s not quite as affordable as it was with the iPhone SE.
Source: Giz China
