The announcement came alongside the tech giant's move to expand its training programme for supply chain workers in Vietnam. Key partners named include Foxconn, Lens, BYD, Innovation, Goertek, and Yuto. These companies are responsible for assembling finished products and producing components for iPads, Macs, HomePods, AirPods, and Apple Watches.

Since 2020, Vietnam-made Apple products have gradually expanded beyond AirPods to include the Apple Watch, HomePod, and most recently, the iPad and MacBook. The Mac mini (2024), Apple’s first carbon-neutral Mac, is also assembled in Vietnam. However, most of these devices are shipped to markets such as Europe and the United States rather than sold in Southeast Asia. For instance, the 2024 Mac mini produced in Vietnam is available in the UK and US, while the version sold domestically is made in China.

In Apple’s Q1 2024 earnings call, CEO Tim Cook said most iPhones sold in the US are now made in India, while Vietnam supplies iPads and other devices. Analysts forecast that by the end of 2024, Vietnam will account for 20% of Apple Watch and iPad output, 5% of MacBooks, and 65% of AirPods.

According to Apple’s Supplier List published in April 2023, the number of Apple-affiliated factories and offices in Vietnam grew from 27 to 35 in the previous year, making Vietnam Apple’s top production base in Southeast Asia and the fourth-largest globally.

Recent years have seen Apple partners ramp up investment in Vietnam. Notably, in late 2023, Fukang Technology, a subsidiary of Foxconn, launched an iPad and MacBook assembly line in northern Bac Giang province.

Foxconn is currently one of Apple’s largest supply chain partners in Vietnam, with facilities in five provinces and cities, employing around 80,000 workers and holding total investments of approximately US$4 billion.

First busy day of Apple CEO Tim Cook in Hanoi

VOV.VN - Upon arriving in Hanoi on April 15, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, sampled egg coffee in the Hanoi’s Old Quarter, took a stroll around Hoan Kiem lake, and met some local content creators.