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Apple is working with China's BYD, a key iPad assembler, to
move new product introduction (NPI) resources to Vietnam, the report said,
adding that this is the first time the company has shifted NPI resources to
Vietnam for such a core device.
Engineering verification for test production of an iPad
model will start around mid-February and the model will be available in the
second half of next year, it said.
Apple and BYD did not immediately respond to Reuters'
request for comment.
Apple suppliers including Luxshare and Foxconn also invested
in the Southeast Asian country earlier this year to further diversify
production away from China.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Japanese electronic
parts maker TDK Corp will manufacture lithium ion (li-ion) battery cells for
Apple iPhone models in India.
Apple has been touting India as its next big growth driver
as it looks to move some production away from China.
It began assembling iPhone models in the country in 2017
through Wistron and later Foxconn, and has a total of 14 suppliers in India.
TDK will set up a manufacturing facility in the northern
state of Haryana, creating several thousand new jobs, Deputy Minister for
Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on social media platform X,
formerly known as Twitter.
Last month, Chinese e-commerce platforms including PDD
Holdings' Pinduoduo and Alibaba's Taobao offered deep discounts on Apple's
latest iPhone 15 series, with some selling models up to CNY 900 below the retail price.
Analysts say the iPhone 15 has not been selling as well in
China as its predecessor. Counterpoint Research said that iPhone 15 sales in
China were down 4.5 percent versus the iPhone 14 in the first 17 days after its
market launch.
© Reuters