Apple has officially opened a new applied research laboratory in Shenzhen, China’s southern tech hub, marking an expansion of its operations in the world’s largest smartphone market. The facility began operations on Thursday and is located in Shenzhen Park in Hetao, a cooperation zone, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
The new lab is spanning 20,000 square meters (215,000 square feet) in its initial phase is set to become Apple’s research and development hub for the Greater Bay Area which rings Hong Kong, Macau, and nine cities in Guangdong province.
Apple announced plans for this facility in March, stating that it would enhance the company’s testing and research capabilities for major products such as the iPhone, iPad, and Vision Pro mixed-reality headset. Additionally, the lab can also strengthen Apple’s collaboration with local suppliers.
This move comes as Apple faces increasing competition from domestic players like Huawei Technologies in the Chinese market. T
The Shenzhen lab is expected to employ over 1,000 domestic and international. According to state media reports, it is slated to become Apple’s “most extensive” lab outside the United States.