Apple's massive application research lab in China

Apple's lab opened on October 10 at the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Zone (China).

Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Zone, China. (Source: Xinhua)

The opening of this massive application research lab is said to demonstrate Apple's commitment to the world's largest smartphone market amid fierce competition with domestic rivals such as Huawei.

Previously, in March, the iPhone maker announced plans to build a lab here to boost research and testing capabilities for major products such as the iPhone, iPad, and Vision Pro, while strengthening cooperation with local suppliers.

The facility will cover 20,000 ^{square meters} in the first phase and will become Apple's R&D center in the Greater Bay Area – an economic and business hub that includes Hong Kong (China), Macau (China) and nine cities in Guangdong province.

The company plans to hire more than 1,000 people domestically and internationally, eventually building the “largest” lab outside the United States.

Apple is increasing its investment in research in China despite efforts to diversify its manufacturing supply chain. The mainland, along with Hong Kong and Taiwan (China), makes up the company’s largest geographic market after the Americas and Europe.

The company said in March that it had set up research centers in Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou and Shenzhen. The size of its R&D team in China has doubled in the past five years.

Apple faces growing competition in the Chinese smartphone market, where Huawei made a comeback with the launch of new 5G devices last year.

For the first time in four years, Huawei sold more devices in the mainland than Apple in August, according to a report from research firm CINNO.

The figure is in line with findings from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, which noted overseas smartphone shipments fell 12.7% in August from a year earlier.

Apple dropped out of the top five smartphone makers in China in the second quarter as its market share fell below 14%, according to research firm IDC.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/phong-thi-nghiem-nghien-cuu-ung-dung-khung-cua-apple-tai-trung-quoc-289935.html