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Contract manufacturer Wistron will manufacture iPhones at its Bangalore plants Apple Inc.   will soon start assembling iPhones in India for the first time, say government officials familiar with its plans, boosting the company’s chances of gaining a foothold in the fast-growing market. Taiwanese contract manufacturer Wistron Corp. will likely start making iPhone 6 and 6S models here in the next four-to-six weeks at its plant in Bangalore, said an official of the southern state of Karnataka where the tech hub is located. It will add Apple’s cheapest iPhone model, the SE, to its assembly line in about three months, the official said. “Almost all preparations have been done for launching Apple’s first phase project in Bangalore through Wistron,” the official told The Wall Street Journal. “We’ve been working hard to develop our operations in India,” an Apple spokeswoman said. “We appreciate the constructive and open dialogue we’ve had with government about further expanding...

The iPad Air 2 is replaced by a new model simply called the iPad costing $329 Apple is refreshing and cutting prices on two of its iPads, but held back on updating its higher-end tablets. A much-speculated 10.5-inch   iPad   didn't materialise, nor did new versions of iPad Pros aimed at businesses and creative professionals. Apple unveiled the new iPads through a press release rather than a staged event, the opposite of the process reserved for bigger product releases, which typically are unveiled in September or October, in time for the holiday shopping season. The tablet market is in an extended decline after a few years of rapid growth. According to IDC, tablet shipments fell 20 percent, to 53 million in the final three months of 2016, compared with the same period in 2015. The iPad Air 2 is replaced by a new model simply called the iPad. It retains a 9.7-inch screen, but the display is brighter and the processor faster. Its price starts at $329 for 32 gigabyt...

Fans cheer, but Asia gives iPhone 7 subdued welcome Apple Inc fans from Sydney to Shanghai, the first customers worldwide to snap the new  iPhone 7   off the shelves, cheered as they left stores on Friday brandishing their purchases, flanked by applauding sales staff. But underneath the usual fanfare, the crowds of enthusiasts and overnight campers were smaller than in past years. Some customers complained after the larger version and models with the new jet-black colour sold out. In part, online pre-ordering has made queues unnecessary for all but diehard fans, and in Chinese stores only those who had ordered in advance were queueing to collect. Yet in markets like China, online interest in the new phone has also been muted compared to past launches, as cheaper local brands amp up their features, design and marketing. Wu Ting, a 28-year-old from Nanjing, was surprised to find herself first in line at a downtown Apple store in Shanghai on Friday, a holiday in Chi...

Apple sets stage for iPhone 7, many already waiting for 8 The   iPhone 7   is expected to make its global debut on Wednesday, but many consumers and investors are already setting their sights on Apple Inc's 2017 version of the popular gadget, hoping for more significant advances. At its annual product launch in San Francisco on Wednesday, the world's most valuable publicly traded company is expected by blogs and analysts to reveal an   iPhone 7 launch   without a headphone jack, paving the way for wireless headphones, a touch-sensitive home button that vibrates, double-lens cameras for the larger 'Plus' edition and other incremental improvements. Apple typically gives its main product, which accounts for more than half of its revenue, a big makeover every other year and the last major redesign was the iPhone 6, in 2014. The modest updates suggest that this cycle will be three years. "It looks like part of the reason they are keeping the design the same ...

Tim Cook likely to open Apple's Hyderabad tech centre on Thursday   At a time when there was a heightened discussion going on about Apple Computer Inc.'s possible manufacturing plans for India, its chief executive officer Tim Cook   is likely to arrive in Hyderabad on Thursday to open Apple's first technology development centre outside the USA. Apple management's decision to first look for leveraging the human resources in India for its new software offerings came to light last year with news reports suggesting that the iPhone maker was examining various cities in India for a possible location for its tech center. After pitching hard for this facility, Telangana government gave first hints earlier this year indicating that Apple management had in fact zeroed in on Hyderabad for establishing the facility. Later, the company also shared the details about its India plans. Earlier this month there were news reports suggesting that Foxconn, the Apple's OEM pa...