Aren't most iPhones made in communist countries?
Yes, most iPhones are still made in China, though that is changing. Smart Analytics Global estimates China's share of global iPhone production fell from 83% in 2024 to 74% in 2025, with India rising from 14% to 23% (National Herald). A September 2026 report from The Conveyor, citing Bloomberg and Reuters, says Apple assembled about 55 million iPhones in India last year, roughly a quarter of its output (The Conveyor).
Assembly is only part of the picture. The same reporting says many of the parts, such as batteries, displays and camera modules, still come largely from China, and that many of Apple's Indian factories are run by Chinese subsidiaries or depend on Chinese suppliers. So a phone labelled as assembled in India can still carry a lot of Chinese hardware.
That matters for the Kadena question. The security worry about BYD is about a vehicle's software, sensors and data flows, and the supply chain behind a device is part of that debate. Whether the same reasoning should apply to phones, and where the line falls, is worth discussing.
🕒 As of October 2026
