Apple is close to opening a new applied research lab in Shenzhen, China, which will focus on testing its flagship products, according to an X tweet by Shenzhen Daily.
According to Cailian Press, #Apple's newly established applied #research #laboratory in #Shenzhen is set to open. The lab will focus on reliability, quality, and materials analysis testing for products such as the #iPhone, #iPad, and #AppleVisionPro. It is reported that Apple has… pic.twitter.com/vke8ZPvj2B
— Shenzhen Daily (@szdaily1) July 25, 2024
Shenzhen Daily, citing the Cailian Press says the new Shenzhen research laboratory is “set to open.” No date was mentioned for the new lab’s opening in the report.
The new Shenzhen lab will focus on quality testing for Apple’s popular devices, including the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro. Testing will focus on testing new materials and production techniques, to ensure that Apple products can hold up under extreme conditions.
The opening of the new lab comes as Apple is ramping up production for its upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which is expected to launch in September.
Shenzhen is in close proximity to many of Apple’s suppliers. While Apple is working to diversify its production capacity away from China and to other countries like Vietnam and India, China remains a key manufacturing hub for Apple. In addition to the new Shenzhen facility, Apple is also expanding its research and development presence in Beijing, Shanghai, and Suzhou, investing over 1 billion yuan (approximately $138 million US) in the new facilities.
Bloomberg reports that Apple Inc. Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams and Micron Technology Inc. President Sanjay Mehrotra visited Beijing to meet with senior Chinese officials as the US is again mulling stricter tech curbs against China. The executives on Monday joined a US business delegation meeting Vice-Premier He Lifeng and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Williams’ visit to China also included a visit to an Apple Store in the Wangfujing shopping district, viewing a film shot on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and a meeting with entertainment company Migu, to see its Apple Vision Pro app.
(Photo by Joshua Fernandez on Unsplash)
