Apple Has Relied More on China-Based Engineers During Pandemic

[MacRumors]

Apple engineers in China have taken on greater responsibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, as travel restrictions and lockdowns have prevented Apple from sending as many U.S. engineers to the country as it normally would, according to The Wall Street Journal.

While key matters like product design are still handled at Apple's headquarters in California, the report claims that Apple has gradually given its China-based engineers more authority to resolve problems, with less input from U.S. employees.

For instance, instead of sending product- and assembly-related information from China to Cupertino for a decision, engineers in China would also include their analysis. And China-based engineers who in the past generally would have reported problems to Cupertino would instead send proposals for resolving the problem, the people said.

The report adds that Apple has used video calling to remotely communicate with Chinese employees to resolve factory issues and more, in an effort to keep pace with its annual product cycles, including new iPhone models each year.

China has imposed strict restrictions and/or lockdowns in cities like Shanghai, Beijing, and Zhengzhou in recent weeks. Last month, Apple warned that its June quarter revenue would be impacted by a number of factors, including supply constraints caused by COVID-related disruptions and industrywide silicon shortages. Apple said it expected those constraints to result in a $4 billion to $8 billion impact on revenue for the quarter.

The disruptions have resulted in lengthy shipping estimates for several Apple products, such as the MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and more.

Article Link: Apple Has Relied More on China-Based Engineers During Pandemic

 

[ouimetnick]

So basically cosmetically designed by Apple in California, engineered and assembled in China?

 

[fwmireault]

Good for them to have both the analysis from engineers in Cupertino and China to resolve a problem. The latter likely have more real world knowledge of the constraints to engineer such devices, and can propose fixes as good, if not better than what people in Cupertino could. Having the input of both groups will improve their process and the product quality on the long run, I'm sure!

 

[citysnaps]

Smart move!

 

[Nicole1980]

Still shaking my head. Using a lockdown to try to prevent a virus from spreading. Good luck with that. And even if they succeed in keeping people from getting the current virus, guess what - they'll be the biggest population in the world subject to the most severe symptoms once another variant rolls along.

 

[BWhaler]

I wonder how Apple is protecting their trade secrets.

 

[BWhaler]

Still shaking my head. Using a lockdown to try to prevent a virus from spreading. Good luck with that. And even if they succeed in keeping people from getting the current virus, guess what - they'll be the biggest population in the world subject to the most severe symptoms once another variant rolls along.

Let me guess. You didn’t go to med school.

 

[VaruLV]

So, basically, as mentioned before, designed by Apple in USA, engineered by your friendly commie China.
And all just to have some more extra dollars of profit.
I guess soon there might be no difference between Xiaomi, who copies iPhone and Apple, since both might be handled by the same teams of engineers. Then Apple will tell us that its still top quality and made by best engineers for best user experience and quality, year, right, heard that before by many other companies...
Yeah, I know, Im exaggerating, but still, this is far from normal being so overly reliant on China in all aspects, including cashing in on unknowing customers who still pay top $$$ just to get "American" stuff which might turn into something other companies have been doing for years where brand X makes desing and lets its OEM manufacturer do the rest, including technical engineering and testing.
All this in the light of rumors about possible iPhone Pro 14 prices rising yet another 100$ is just, well, unpleasant news.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

This is pure collaboration. Even with the whole pandemic, Apple has done an amazing job introducing ground-breaking Apple products. Hopefully, it gets easier for Apple in the near future.

 

[cgsnipinva]

Good for them to have both the analysis from engineers in Cupertino and China to resolve a problem. The latter likely have more real world knowledge of the constraints to engineer such devices, and can propose fixes as good, if not better than what people in Cupertino could. Having the input of both groups will improve their process and the product quality on the long run, I'm sure!

That might be a stretch as they do test manufacturing here in US to test design options. I would think that Apple would be smart to wall off Chinese engineers as much as possible given that nations propensity to absolutely steal IP.

 

[jav6454]

That might be a stretch as they do test manufacturing here in US to test design options. I would think that Apple would be smart to wall off Chinese engineers as much as possible given that nations propensity to absolutely steal IP.

Agreed. It's a risky move, and hopefully Apple moves away from China in the mid/long-term.

 

[aplnub]

If their lockdown was so successful, why do they continue?

 

[JoEw]

Could this explain lackluster build quality on iPad Air 5?

 

[fenderbass146]

How about they gtfo of China. Apple is all about virtue signaling when it comes to some issues, but when it comes to the genocide and issues in China they won't do **** because it hurts there bottom line. Same for most of corporate America. Get it out of China to other places and slowly start bringing some back to the West even if it costs some margin or higher prices.

 

[calstanford]

"Designed by Apple in California" charging California sky high prices. Made in and engineered by China.

 

[cgsnipinva]

Let me guess. You didn’t go to med school.

Well I usually avoid these types of conversations - but I have a couple of doctors in the family - and they would agree with that post.

The lockdowns have proven not to be effective - look at the harshest places like NZ and Australia and they were ineffective. During the Spanish Flu outbreak - they didn't do a lockdown and the virus was far more deadly.

 

[BaldiMac]

Well I usually avoid these types of conversations - but I have a couple of doctors in the family - and they would agree with that post.

The lockdowns have proven not to be effective - look at the harshest places like NZ and Australia and they were ineffective.

Ineffective? New Zealand and Australia are both among the lowest per capita COVID death rates in the world. The US had more than 10 times the death rate of those countries.

During the Spanish Flu outbreak - they didn't do a lockdown and the virus was far more deadly.

I have no idea how you think that fits your argument.

 

[doboy]

Apple employees: we don't want to go back to the mother ship
Apple: you can stay home permanently cause we'll just replace you with cheap Chinese engineers for < 1/10 of the cost

 

[mikethemartian]

I assume these are manufacturing engineers that deal with production issues and not design engineers.

 

[ducknalddon]

During the Spanish Flu outbreak - they didn't do a lockdown and the virus was far more deadly.

That's just not true. Large parts of the US did shut down during the Spanish Flu.

 

[Mr. Dee]

One of these days, Xi Jingping is gonna be giving Apple keynotes. ?

 

[Razorpit]

Let me guess. You didn’t go to med school.

Let me guess, you didn't read the Johns Hopkins report on how none of the things we did helped contain the spread; masks, shutdowns all useless.

 

[BaldiMac]

Let me guess, you didn't read the Johns Hopkins report on how none of the things we did helped contain the spread; masks, shutdowns all useless.

Here's What We Know About 'Johns Hopkins Study' on Lockdowns

It's a non-peer reviewed working paper that has not been endorsed by the university.

www.snopes.com

 

[Moonlight]

Too much xenophobia in this thread about China

 

[Razorpit]

Here's What We Know About 'Johns Hopkins Study' on Lockdowns

It's a non-peer reviewed working paper that has not been endorsed by the university.

www.snopes.com

? Ya, let's trust Snopes. They are completely unbiased.

So in the past 5 months that this report has been published, what has been proven to be incorrect?

And if you are basing your argument on this is all a work in progress, by that definition the entire vaccination program was and still is "work in progress". And this report is far more accurate than any of the vaccination claims.