Apple reportedly made plans to shift assembly of its flagship smartphone outside of China for the first time, with as much as 10 per cent of iPhone 12 production to be moved to India.

Nikkei Asia reported contract electronics manufacturer Foxconn will produce the iPhone 12 5G series at its facilities in Tamil Nadu state, which also assembles other models including the iPhone 11 and iPhone XR.

Foxconn, Wistron and Pegatron produce all iPhone models, with the majority assembled in China.

India Today reported Apple stated it was “proud” to commence production of its latest flagship “for our local customers” in the country.

Foxconn has looked to reduce reliance on China due to trade tensions with the US, reportedly planning to invest as much as $1 billion in a facility in southern India over the next three years.

Apple started producing iPhone SE models in India in 2017.