Apple increases Taiwanese supplier orders to reduce China’s reliance

Since the US government began creating sanctions against China, Apple started its plan to rely less on the country so it doesn’t impact the supply chain of products. With the COVID-19 outbreak and several lockdowns throughout the years – the more recent last November – the company is slowly increasing production in other countries, such as Taiwan.

In his latest analysis, reliable insider Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple is ordering more iPad lenses from AOET, which currently supplies lenses for Mac models. AOET is a Taiwanese-based company that will begin shipping these orders to iPads in 2H23.

Kuo focuses on AOET’s future growth and points out how Apple will benefit from this shift. According to him, the supplier can follow the steps of Sunny Optical, which started as an iPad lens supplier and now also has iPhone orders.

In addition, this partnership would benefit Apple and its customers from 2024 to 2026 to rely less on Chinese suppliers.

2024 is going to be an important year for iPad models, as Apple is not expected to release any important updates to its tablets in 2023.

Starting with the iPad Pro, Apple will likely switch its display panels to OLED. Currently, the 12.9-inch model features miniLED technology, while the 11-inch version uses an LCD panel. In addition, users will likely see the introduction of the M3 chip to this lineup.

The iPad mini is also rumored to get a new iteration in 2024. According to Ming-Chi Kuo, the new iPad mini will have a new processor as the “main selling point.” Since Apple recently offered a redesign to this tablet with the best processor available, it’s unclear how better a new chip can be, as Apple can choose between the latest A series or an M one model.

Besides iPad models, Apple is now producing more iPhones and components for AirPods in India. The Cupertino firm plans to diversify its supply chain to the country in the coming years and launches.