Apple Trials AirPods Production in Vietnam in Bid to Cut Reliance on China

Apple will begin trialing AirPods production in Vietnam as part of a strategy to diversify product manufacturing beyond China, according to a new report by Nikkei Asian Review.

airpodslight

China's GoerTek, one of Apple's key contract manufacturers, will this summer begin testing the resilience of its manufacturing processes for the newest generation of AirPods at its audio factory in northern Vietnam, two sources with knowledge of the plan said.

The trial run will mark the first time Apple's hugely popular wireless earbuds have been produced outside China. According to the report, Apple has asked component suppliers to support Goertek's efforts, despite initially only green-lighting very small volumes of AirPods.

Apple has traditionally sourced its wired EarPods in Vietnam, but AirPods have so far been made exclusively in China by the likes of Inventec, Luxshare-ICT, and GoerTek. The move is said to be a consequence of Apple seeking to source 15 to 30 percent of its output outside of China, where cost and manpower advantages are beginning to fade.

Thanks to the continuing success of AirPods, Apple now dominates nearly 70 percent of the truly wireless headphone market. With Samsung, Huawei, Sony and Google bringing their own truly wireless headphones to market, global shipments of all wireless earbuds are forecast to surge from 48 million pairs in 2018 to 129 million pairs by 2020, according to Counterpoint.

Apple plans to release third-generation AirPods with water resistance in late 2019, according to multiple rumors. The first two generations of AirPods do not have IP-rated water or dust resistance, despite standing up to water exposure well.

In March 2019, Apple launched its second-generation AirPods powered by an Apple-designed H1 chip, enabling hands-free "Hey Siri" functionality and up to 50 percent more talk time compared to the original AirPods. The second-generation AirPods feature the same outward design as the original.

In April, reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said two new AirPods models will likely go into mass production between the fourth quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020, with one of the new models featuring an "all-new form factor design" and a "higher price" than the second-generation AirPods, which start at $159.

Related Roundup: AirPods 4
Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Neutral)
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Event in October? Here's What to Expect

Monday September 29, 2025 9:31 am PDT by
Apple's annual iPhone event is in the rearview mirror, but rumors suggest the company plans to release a handful of additional products before the year ends. Will there be another Apple event this October? We discuss the possibility below. Apple in October Apple's most recent October events were in 2021 and 2023. In 2022 and 2024, Apple did not host an October event. Instead, it...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro teal 1

Apple's iPhone Driver's License Feature Now Available in 11 U.S. States

Tuesday September 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Apple recently revealed that the feature would soon be available in North Dakota, and starting today, the feature has officially gone...
maxresdefault

New iPad Pro With M5 Chip Leaked in Unboxing Video

Tuesday September 30, 2025 8:39 am PDT by
An apparent unboxing video for an unannounced iPad Pro with the M5 chip was uploaded to YouTube today by Russian channel Wylsacom. The same YouTube account leaked the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip before it was announced by Apple last year, so this is likely a legitimate leak. Based on the box shown in the video, this appears to be a 13-inch iPad Pro with an M5 chip, 256GB of...
fcc vision pro leak

FCC Accidentally Leaks Apple's Next Vision Pro

Tuesday September 30, 2025 3:48 pm PDT by
The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has seemingly confirmed Apple's work on an updated version of the Vision Pro headset. One of several documents the FCC shared today references an Apple-designed "Head Mounted Device" with a model number of A3416. An included image confirms the device is a Vision Pro. The FCC's uploads are transmission tests, SAR test reports, and...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.0.1 With Fixes for Wi-Fi, Cellular, and Camera Issues on iPhone 17 Models

Monday September 29, 2025 10:12 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 26.0.1 and iPadOS 26.0.1, the first updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out earlier this week. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes for the update, iOS 26.0.1 addresses a bug that could cause aberrations in...
macbook pro prime day 2025

FCC Leaks Upcoming MacBook Pro and More

Tuesday September 30, 2025 1:58 pm PDT by
The United States Federal Communications Commission has confirmed Apple's work on a new version of the MacBook Pro and several other products, leaking details on the devices ahead of launch. The FCC published documents that reference model numbers that do not correspond with existing devices. A3434, for example, references an unreleased MacBook Pro, while other numbers are likely for...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

New MacBook Pro Nears Mass Production, But Four Bigger Upgrades Expected Next Year

Sunday September 28, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next MacBook Pro models will enter mass production soon, according to the latest information shared by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said he continues to believe the new MacBook Pro models will be released at some point between late 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, meaning they should be available to order by March at the latest. Apple often...
space black mbp

Here's Every New Apple Product That Leaked Yesterday

Wednesday October 1, 2025 8:27 am PDT by
A handful of upcoming Apple products leaked yesterday, through a combination of YouTube videos out of Russia and U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) documents that were released, despite Apple's confidentiality requests. The leaked products include an iPad Pro with an M5 chip, as well as updated MacBook Pro and Apple Vision Pro models. All of these devices had already been rumored...
iOS 26

Apple Continues to Prepare iOS 26.0.1 With Multiple Bug Fixes Expected

Sunday September 28, 2025 1:30 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.0.1, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing information about future iOS versions. The account initially said iOS 26.0.1 would have a build number of 23A350, but they now expect the update to have a build number of 23A355. This suggests that the software update will include more bug fixes or changes than initially...
Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Thursday September 25, 2025 1:11 pm PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system codenamed "Charismatic," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple smart home hub concept based on rumors This is likely Apple's long-rumored "homeOS" operating system. In a report last month, Gurman said both Apple's rumored smart home hub in 2026 and tabletop robot in 2027 will run the new operating system. He said the software platform ...

Top Rated Comments

rjp1 Avatar
81 months ago

One simply cannot say build something in XYZ country and it happens, where are most of the raw materials being shipped from.

At present a bulk of raw or processed materials are not being shipped to Asia from USA only to make goods to be shipped and sold in USA.
Imagine if Apple had cash on hand to invest in America. Oh wait.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
szw-mapple fan Avatar
81 months ago
How about build them in the good ol capitalism loving USA lol
Any why would any company do this other than to get a “made in USA” label? There are no good incentives. Ironically it’s this love of capitalism that moves manufacturing to other counties.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Aluminum213 Avatar
81 months ago
How about build them in the good ol capitalism loving USA lol
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Hazmat401 Avatar
81 months ago
It would be nice to have a lot of those blue collar jobs in America.... this country is saturated with enough white collar job that the pay is getting a lot lower from what I saw

This country was built with working hands.... let working hands prosper in the tech industry

This really bothers me as a tax payer that this company gets a tax break at the expense of our backs
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
code-m Avatar
81 months ago


This country was built with working hands.... let working hands prosper in the tech industry
Can you provide an example of which country/ies were built without (hard) working hands o_O

If you don’t like what is occurring, lobby, rally, petition, run for election, change the laws, boycott companies, etc. Writing on a tech forum is not helping your purpose other than temporary relief felt by voicing your opinion ;)

To be fair many corporations are using taxation loopholes :p
[doublepost=1563369561][/doublepost]
How about build them in the good ol capitalism loving USA lol
One simply cannot say build something in XYZ country and it happens, where are most of the raw materials being shipped from.

At present a bulk of raw or processed materials are not being shipped to Asia from USA only to make goods to be shipped and sold in USA.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kabeyun Avatar
81 months ago
Apple is going to “cut reliance on China” by continuing to have a Chinese company manufacture AirPods. Heh.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)