This could help improve the number of AirPods and AirPods Pro in the wild.
Component suppliers Goertek and Luxshare are reportedly seeking financial financial support to expand AirPods assembly in Vietnam, thereby allowing for more Apple products to be sourced from outside China.
Per sources close to the story, Goertek and Luxshare are reportedly seeking hundreds of millions of dollars to grow AirPods and AirPods Pro production in Vietnam. The move is being made in part to diversify Apple’s supply chain, but also to continue to shift manufacturing outside of China, in case the “phase one” trade deal collapses and tariffs are reinstated.
Following years of assembly and manufacture of wired EarPods and Lightning cables and Vietnam, Goertek began manufacturing of Apple’s AirPods on a trial basis in July. Sources close to the story claimed that Apple asked components suppliers to support Goertek’s efforts, even though initial production runs were small.
The report suggested that assembly of the AirPods would be boosted following a successful trial run. The report also notes that components sourced in China are easy to ship to Vietnam, and Vietnam’s labor costs are about one-third of China’s.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via AppleInsider and The Information