According to a new report, Google is moving not only the production, but development of (most) Pixel phones out of China going forward and over to Vietnam.
Nikkei Asia (via Reuters) reports that Google is moving the bulk of Pixel production and development out of China this year. While Google has been producing much of its stock in Vietnam and other regions for some time now, the company still relies on China for key development phases, including “new product introductions (NPI).”
Nikkei explains NPIs as follows:
NPI, which includes developing, verifying and fine-tuning production processes, is the most critical stage when a company brings out a new electronics device. Hundreds of engineers from the company and its suppliers are involved, and heavy investment in testing equipment and tooling machines is required to ensure that the new design can actually be made according to the blueprints.
For the Pixel 10 series and prior, this step took place in China even if production was handled in other regions. Since 2022, Google has been moving production away from China for the most part, at least on certain models, while also handling some production in India.
This latest report reveals that Google will handle all Pixel, Pixel Pro, and Pixel Fold development in Vietnam, effectively building these devices “from scratch” outside of China, while Pixel A-Series releases will still be developed in China “for now.” This is a big move on Google’s part, as it would shift Pixel production almost entirely away from China. Apple, the report brings out, currently works on NPIs both in China and outside of China, given that “if NPI fails, then it means there will be no new product for the year.”
Since Google already handled much of the production of Pixel phones and “carries out some verification processes there,” the report’s sources say that “building new phones from scratch in the country should be achievable.”
Google hasn’t publicly commented on the move, but the report suggests that this move will kick in for new phones “this year,” i.e. the Pixel 11 series.
More on Google Pixel:
Follow Ben: Twitter/X, Threads, Bluesky, and Instagram
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
