Apple is reportedly moving key engineering resources to Vietnam, which will now be involved in iPad development and production. Apple will move at least a significant portion of iPad production from China to Vietnam in June 2022, having been planning to do so for more than a year.
According to Nikkei Asia, Apple is currently working to move so-called New Product Introduction (NPI) development work to Vietnam. It's a big move away from China, but it's done in partnership with Chinese iPad maker BYD.
Despite this, "Nikkei Asia" stated that this is the first time that Apple has allocated NPI resources to such an important product. NPI development means Apple will work closely with BYD to test designs and identify manufacturing issues.
This means both companies will send engineers to the site and will also conduct laboratory testing of the new equipment.
According to reports, an iPad developed there is expected to enter the engineering verification testing phase in mid-February 2024. It is reported that this model will be released in the second half of the year.
Apple moved production out of China in part to prevent overreliance on a single source. China's strict dynamic clearance policy against COVID-19 in previous years and energy supply issues have delayed Apple's production. In addition, trade tensions between China and the United States continue.