Apple Asks Chinese Manufacturers to Ramp Up AirPods Pro Production: Report

Apple has turned to a Chinese manufacturer to ramp up production of AirPods Pro and AirPods amid surging demand. This comes at a time when US President Donald Trump is preparing to slap more tariffs on Chinese imports. The Cupertino-headquartered firm has sent a memo to all its manufacturers and providers to ramp up production of the truly wireless headphones, including doubling the production of the Pro, according to a Nikkei Asian Review report on Wednesday.

The iPhone maker's manufacturing partner for the AirPods Pro is Luxshare-ICT, which has two plants in China.

“Apple's move is further evidence that Chinese companies, contrary to Washington's desire to hobble their technological capabilities, can meet sudden demands for extra production while maintaining stringent quality control. It also shows that sales of Apple "hearables," which already have a 45% share of the wireless earbud market, continue to boom,” Nikkei Asian Review wrote.

Apple's fastest-growing products include the wireless earbuds. According to industry analysts, 200 million units could be sold yearly and the number could reach 80 million as early as 2020, according to GSMArena.

To recall, Apple has brought its wireless AirPods Pro with active noise cancellation feature to India earlier this month. AirPods Pro are available via Apple Authorised Resellers.

AirPods with charging case are sold at Rs. 14,900, whereas AirPods with wireless charging case are available for Rs. 18,900. AirPods Pro, on the other hand, can be purchased at Rs. 24,900.