Given the geopolitical unrest and disruptive plant closures (caused by pandemic lockdowns), smartphone manufacturers are progressively relocating their production outside of China. Google did this for the Pixel 7, but it will still require China for foldable phone production.
The New York Times reports that some of Google’s newest Pixel phone’s manufacturing will take place in Vietnam. Notably, its A-series line of mid-range phones, which includes the Pixel 4a, 5a, and 6a, are already Made in Vietnam. The Pixel 3a we had on hand, though, was made in China.
According to a recent story, Google began considering alternatives to Foxconn manufacturing in southern China as the trade war grew more intense in 2019. Today’s Pixel 6 Pro, 5, and 4 are all Chinese, but the Pixel 7 will start to change that.
However, the inference is that China will continue to supply the majority of this year’s incoming flagship phone series. The NYT reports that Google anticipates Vietnam to supply up to half of the high-end Pixel phones for the upcoming year, most likely the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro.
China is still necessary for newer, more complex manufacturing, though. According to the NYT, Google is looking into creating a foldable phone for 2023. The fabrication of foldable screens and hinges is said to necessitate proximity to important Chinese suppliers.
Google reportedly postponed its foldable plans for 2022, which we heard could be branded as the Pixel Notepad, according to a story from back in March. It is said to have an external screen and an internal folding display that resembles the Oppo Find N more so than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold.
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