Apple has opened a new testing and development lab for the iPhone and Apple Vision Pro in Shenzhen, China, with plans for 1,000 staff.
Buildings in Shenzhen, China [Source: Pexels/Lywin]
As first revealed when under construction in July 2024, the new research center is part of the company's expanding R&D efforts in China. According to the South China Morning Post, the new lab opened on Thursday, October 10, 2024.
Situated in Shenzhen Park in Hetao, around seven miles from the Apple Holiday Plaza Shenzhen store, the lab currently spans 215,000 square feet. Expected to expand later, the lab is part of the region's Greater Bay Area economic development hub.
Said to be for testing and research concerning the company's major products, specifically the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro. It's not clear how many staff are now working at the lab, but reportedly the intention is to ultimately employ over 1,000 people.
Shenzhen has long been the site of Apple's major manufacturing partners in China. Apple has also been conducting research and development in the city since around 2017.
The new research lab comes as Apple has been increasingly moving its production away from China, to new facilities in countries such as India and Vietnam.
However, most recently, a fire at a key factory in India may force Apple to move back a proportion of its iPhone manufacturing to China.