Google to move Pixel smartphone production to Vietnam
(VOVWORLD) - Google is shifting its Pixel smartphone production to Vietnam from China starting this year as it builds a cheap supply chain in Southeast Asia, the Nikkei business daily has reported.
The move comes as labor costs are rising in China along with added pressure from spiraling tariffs due to the ongoing Sino-US trade tensions. The US internet giant plans to move most of its American-bound hardware out of China, including the Pixel phones and its smart speaker Google Home, Nikkei said. The company plans to ship about 8 million to 10 million smartphones this year, double from a year ago, making Vietnam a key part of Google’s drive for growth in the smartphone market, the newspaper added. Google will shift some production of the Pixel 3A phone to Vietnam before the end of this year, according to Nikkei.