The AirPods Pro are now available in Malaysia, but Apple is already doubling its global production of the recently-launched pair of wireless earphones. According to an exclusive report by Nikkei Asian Review, the California-based company has reached out to its Chinese supplier, Luxshare-ICT, to double its production of the AirPods Pro to 2 million units per month.
Apple has also asked suppliers in Vietnam and China to increase production of the “cheaper” AirPods—currently the world’s best-selling true wireless earbuds. This is due to a “healthy” demand for the latest earbuds, with popularity for the earbuds already at a high:
“Apple has increased monthly orders for the latest AirPods Pro from 1 million units to at least 2 million units thanks to healthy demand.”
According to the same report, Chinese companies already account for 41 of Apple’s 200 top suppliers, which shows the increasing dependence on China’s technology manufacturing prowess/speed by global companies.
“In the future, it [wireless earbuds] could well sell at the level of the iPhone”
And it is likely to continue. Bloomberg has reported that AirPods Pro shipments are expected to double to 60 million by the end of 2019, and that the demand for the AirPods Pro has been “much higher” than expected. A tech analyst from GF Securities also predicts that AirPods could reach the same popularity levels as the iPhone.
Luxshare, it seems, has been manufacturing AirPods for Apple since 2017, and also assembles Apple Watches as well—in addition to reportedly serving other companies, including Huawei and Tesla. This request to ramp up production for the AirPods Pro doesn’t bode well for Apple’s other main suppliers—including Foxconn.
At the moment, it looks like the AirPods Pro earphones are further strengthening Apple’s position in the true wireless earphones market. Research shows that Apple is the preferred choice for Americans for wireless earphones—and based on the latest news, it appears to be a view shared by the global market.
Are you planning to pick up a pair of the AirPods Pro? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
