American newspaper: Apple considers moving Mac Pro production line from the US to Vietnam

According to a new report from Bloomberg , Apple intends to launch a new version of the Mac Pro with its own processor for the first time next year. However, then the company had to automatically downgrade the specifications because it was too complicated.

Specifically, the new product will drop the “dual” M2 processor version and will only use the M2 Ultra processor. According to previous reports, the M2 Ultra processor uses a 24-core CPU and a 76-core graphics processing unit (GPU), while the “dual” M2 is integrated by two M2 Ultra chips, providing 48 CPU cores and 152 GPU cores.

The Mac Pro is the last product in Apple’s Mac line that doesn’t use its own chip. Apple announced in June 2020 that Mac processors will be fully ported to their own chips within two years, and it’s already late 2022. However, it seems likely due to the high complexity of the software. processor and high production costs, Apple decided to abandon the plan. This will help Apple and supplier TSMC save resources to invest in more chips.

The report also indicates that Apple originally planned to manufacture the Mac Pro in China, but now this high-end Mac version is expected to be assembled in Vietnam. This shift is part of the US technology company’s effort to reduce its dependence on China.

The current version of the Mac Pro – for US customers at least – is built in Flex Ltd’s factory. in Austin, Texas. But that’s really just the final assembly stage, and most of the main components inside are made in China.

The company made the decision to hold assembly in Texas in 2019, as it faced pressure from the Trump administration. At the time, the US authorities threatened Apple with significant tariffs on goods made in China. That can increase costs and complicate the production of critical devices like the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.

The company can now move Mac Pro production to a safer region like Asia. And the most outstanding commercial example in Asia today is Vietnam. Other Apple products such as AirPods are already manufactured in our country, and domestic enterprises may also soon make laptops and Apple Watches.

Media outlet Digitimes also reported that Apple still considers Vietnam a priority destination for moving Mac production out of China. However, reports from other media also indicate that Apple intends to build a Mac production line in Thailand.

Refer to Bloomberg, Digitimes