Apple AirPods Pro 2 mass production to begin during Q2 this year

Apple AirPods Pro 2:  Apple's upcoming AirPods Pro are likely to enter mass production during the second half of the year and it will be manufactured in Vietnam, signaling a reduction in Apple's reliance on China.

In a new thread on Twitter, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo explained that he expects AirPods Pro 2 mass production will begin during the second half of this year. He also noted that AirPods Pro 2 will be manufactured in Vietnam, signaling a reduction in Apple's reliance on China.

"This comes after the Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend that Apple has informed some of its suppliers that it wants to shift production from China to hubs in Vietnam and India," IANS reported.

Kuo said that Apple's decision to shift production from China to Vietnam for AirPods Pro 2 can be attributed to the product's "relatively not complicated supply chain and Vietnam's better production environment".

Currently, AirPods Pro are manufactured and assembled in both China and Vietnam, but Kuo seemed to believe the shift to Vietnam will continue at a higher rate with AirPods Pro 2 this year.

Apple is still expected to test and perfect AirPods Pro 2 manufacturing in China during the "New Product Introduction" phase of the process. In terms of features and changes to expect, Kuo predicted that the AirPods Pro 2 charging case will still feature a Lightning port for charging, dashing hopes for a switchover to USB-C this year.

Apple's suppliers are getting ready for shipments of the new high-end AirPods. The second-generation AirPods Pro may support lossless audio support and a charging case that makes a sound to help you find it. The upcoming wearable may support Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC) and can also have integrated AirTag features in the charging case and support for Apple Lossless.