Apple to Expand Research and Development Facilities in China - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple to Expand Research and Development Facilities in China

Apple is planning to expand its applied research and development labs in China, the company today announced.

apple china iphone factory
In a statement shared with the South China Morning Post, Apple said that it plans to expand its research center in Shanghai "to support all of its product lines," as well as open a new lab in Shenzhen later in 2024 that will work on testing and research of major products including the iPhone, iPad, and Vision Pro headset. The company added that the new facility in Shenzhen will strengthen its collaboration with local suppliers and support local employees.

Apple's vice-president and managing director of Greater China, Isabel Ge Mahe, said that the company is proud to cultivate deeper ties in China and expand its presence in the country. Apple has already invested $139.2 million into its Shanghai research center, she added. Last week, Apple announced plans to open a new Apple Store in Shanghai's Jing'an district on March 21.

Popular Stories

Apple Event Logo

Apple to Launch These 15+ New Products Later This Year

Friday March 27, 2026 2:03 pm PDT by
March has been an incredibly busy month for Apple, with the company unveiling more than 10 new products and accessories. We said hello to the MacBook Neo at the start of the month, and we bid farewell to the Mac Pro at the end of it. Nevertheless, there is still a lot more to come this year. Beyond the usual annual updates to iPhones and Apple Watches, Apple's all-new smart home hub is...
iOS 26

iOS 26.4 Adds Two New Features to CarPlay

Tuesday March 24, 2026 1:55 pm PDT by
iOS 26.4 was released today, and it includes a couple of new features for CarPlay: an Ambient Music widget and support for voice-based chatbot apps. To update your iPhone 11 or newer to iOS 26.4, open the Settings app and tap on General → Software Update. CarPlay will automatically offer the new features so long as the iPhone connected to your vehicle is running iOS 26.4 or later....
Mac Pro Feature Teal

Apple Confirms Mac Pro Is Dead, No Future Models Planned

Thursday March 26, 2026 2:04 pm PDT by
Apple has discontinued the Mac Pro and has removed the machine from its website, reports 9to5Mac. Apple said it does not plan to design a new version of the Mac Pro, and no new model will be coming in the future. The Mac Pro was last updated in 2023, which was when Apple added an M2 Ultra Apple silicon chip, but the chassis has not been refreshed since 2019. Apple redesigned the Mac Pro to...

Top Rated Comments

ThailandToo Avatar
27 months ago
This seems like a bad calculation from Apple. These decisions have cost Apple so much IP loss in the past to hand them the platter seems stupid.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
27 months ago
Why? I thought Apple was trying to move iPhone assembly out of china.

Our own government generals sounded alarms saying China is getting ready for war with the USA.

Not to mention they steal intellectual property.

Good thing I am using a pc with Windows more than Mac.

If China declares war almost all of Apples manufacturing will be stuck in China.

Good thing they stayed out of Russia.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gknewell Avatar
27 months ago
This is a terrible idea. Getting increasingly tangled up with China right now is absolutely absurd.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
27 months ago
What exactly does 'applied research' mean?

In any event, it sounds as if this might the price Apple is being forced to pay for continued market access in China, given that the government there is heavily promoting Huawei and increasingly strongly discouraging iPhone usage and ownership.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
trusso Avatar
27 months ago
I have nothing against the Chinese people - just the Chinese government - but Tim Cook needs to get some fresh air or step down. I don’t know what he’s smoking with a decision like this.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
spinedoc77 Avatar
27 months ago
It's interesting to read this, then consolidate it with China's push to replace western tech companies with their own homegrown companies and technology. China already banned Apple phones for government officials and a lot of tech like PCs are being forcefully replaced by state owned tech manufacturers such as Tongfang. Previous stalwarts of China tech like Hewlett Packard, Salesforce, Oracle, and Microsoft are being pushed out and replaced. It makes you wonder what kind of behind the scenes deals Apple is making to stay friends with China.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)