Apple to move mass production of iPads outside of China for the first time

Apple may start producing iPads in Vietnam in the middle of this year. This will be the first time that a large number of Apple devices will be manufactured outside of China. Along with the transfer of the iPad, Apple is going to ramp up production of iPhone smartphones in India, where a number of iPhone 11 devices were produced last year. The production of the iPhone 12 will start there this quarter.

Thus, the company is trying to get rid of its dependence on China, despite the coming to power of a new president and hopes of easing the trade war between the United States and China. The new administration has already said it will not immediately cut tariffs on Chinese goods. There are other factors, such as rising labor costs in China. Therefore, many manufacturers are looking for countries that are cheaper to produce.

In addition to tablets and smartphones, Apple is going to withdraw production of other products from China. Last year, there was talk about the production of AirPods Pro headphones in Vietnam. The production of the HomePod mini and some MacBooks may also go there. Mac mini will be produced in Malaysia.

The news came 2 years after it became known about Apple’s plans to withdraw 15% to 30% of production from China.