Apple is planning to move the production of its MacBook lineup to Vietnam, reports Nikkei Asia. The change will reportedly happen sometime this year – no specific timeline mentioned.
The MacBooks have always been made in China. In 2020, the tech industry saw how a pandemic or any other major worldwide event could cause supply chains to be affected. The effect was not drastic but since then, major tech companies have begun exploring the idea of decentralising manufacturing of their products across the globe.
New machines on the way
Apple is reportedly set to unveil a new 14” MacBook Pro which will replace the existing 13” MacBook Pro. The new “Pro” machine will be powered by an Apple made chip for high-end computers. Last year, the company unveiled the M1 chip which powers the entry-level Mac computers.
The 14” MacBook Pro could be the first machine to be manufactured in Vietnam – pure speculation. Apple is also supposed to release an updated version of the 16” MacBook Pro which will not be powered by an Intel processor. Both the “Pro” machines will be powered by Apple silicon based on the ARM architecture.
Apple is also set to bring a new design language with the upcoming Mac laptops. The reports have stated that the new MacBook Pros will feature a completely flat design similar to the iPad Pro, the iPad Air, and the more recent iPhone 12. The company is on a streak to make all its products flat by ditching the curves.
Returning to the manufacturing of MacBook Pro machines in Vietnam, the US-China trade war which took place in 2020 and may continue to 2021 as well is also partly the reason for Apple looking for decentralising the production of Macs. However, the tensions could ease under the new Biden administration in the United States.
