You might not know this, but Apple has been producing iPhone models in Brazil for quite a while now. Foxconn has a factory in the São Paulo countryside where it manufactures low-end iPhone models. However, as Apple continues to diversify its supply chain and reduce its reliance on China, it has been making iPhone 16e models not only in India but also in Brazil.
Brazilian blog MacMagazine was the first to spot that Apple has been making the iPhone 16e in the country, as a reader sent them a photo of the iPhone 16e box, highlighting that it was manufactured in Brazil. The blog also found evidence that the iPhone 16e has been in production in Brazil since day one, according to Brazil’s Anatel (a government agency similar to the FDA). Apple’s Brazil page also revealed the final part numbers of the iPhone 16e, which end in BR/A, while the other iPhone 16 models have the BE/A ending.
That said, even before Trump’s tariffs took effect, Cupertino was already beginning to diversify its supply chain away from China. This shift started during the pandemic when the iPhone 14 release was delayed due to a lockdown at the company’s largest factory, followed by a workers’ strike. To avoid similar issues in the future, the company began moving some of its production to India.
For example, Apple was reportedly using an Indian factory to handle early manufacturing work for the iPhone 17 base model. This process involves Indian workers translating a prototype designed in Cupertino into a device that can be mass-produced. This phase has traditionally been carried out in China, but Apple is now diversifying it to India as well.
While Brazil represents an important market for Apple, the Foxconn factory doesn’t appear to have grown much over the past decade. Still, as navigating Trump’s second term might be an issue for Apple in the long run, opting to make low-end devices in Brazil could help mitigate potential price increases in the US and other markets.
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