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Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • Thai Airways to retire A330’s, A380s, and 747s

    Thai Airways to retire A330’s, A380s, and 747s

    Many countries have closed their international borders, and many impose lots of restrictions that makes travel almost impossible. Airlines currently do not need an extensive fleet of wide-body aircraft to carry passengers across oceans and continents. In fact, the majority of the airlines have temporarily parked their biggest planes in the desert, others are making more drastic long-term plans.

    The latest fleet downsizing action comes from the national carrier of Thailand, which just announced a major fleet restructuring, according to a report by local newspaper The Nation.

    Thai Airways will retire all its Airbus A380s and A330s, as well as its iconic B747s, leaving in operation a more modern, widebody, fuel-efficient jets such as the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787, beside the older B777 which in terms of fuel efficiency are better than the B747 and A330 and which are currently listed for sale.

    If I have made the count correctly on the Thai Airways fleet page website, the fleet downsizing will consist in retiring a whooping 28 aircrafts out of the 80 widebody fleet.

    Before the pandemic, Thai had one of the most varied long-haul fleets in the sky, with a dash of the most popular Airbus and Boeing jets. A bit too varied in my opinion, which is not financially healthy long-term. Once the fleet restructures takes place a more streamlined fleet, will be less of a financial concern.

    Thai is not the only airline reducing its fleet due to the pandemic. Last year, below is a list of major airlines that have permanently retired part of their fleet.

    • Air Canada 79 planes B767s, Airbus A319s, and Embraer 190s.
    • Air France 15 planes A380’s
    • American  Airlines just over 100 various wide and narrow-body planes
    • Austrian Airlines 28 Planes wide and narrow body.
    • British Airways 67 planes including 57 B747 and 5 B777-200
    • Delta Air Lines 188 Planes including MD88, MD90, and B777.
    • KLM 25 planes, all B747.
    • Lufthansa 35 Planes including A340-600, A380, and B747.
    • Singapore Airlines 46 Planes all B777-200ER.
    • Virgin Atlantic 32 Planes, including 19 A340 and 13 B747
    • Emirates may speed up the retirement of 46 of the airline’s 115-strong fleet of A380s. No concrete timeline has been provided yet.
    • Qantas has constantly faced rumours that it will retire its A380 fleet at some point.
    • Qatar Airways may also speed up the retirement of its A380s.
    • United Airlines may follow American’s lead and retire its 767s and 757s.

    The retirement of aircraft will push airlines to focus on more fuel-efficient widebody aircraft which no doubt will be the future of the aviation industry.

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  • Jaguar Land Rover To Cut 2,000 Jobs Globally

    Jaguar Land Rover To Cut 2,000 Jobs Globally

    Jaguar Land Rover said on Wednesday it would cut 2,000 jobs from its global salaried workforce, just days after announcing its luxury Jaguar brand will be entirely electric by 2025 and e-models of its entire lineup will be launched by 2030. “The full review of the Jaguar Land Rover organization is already underway,” the company said in an emailed statement. “We anticipate a net reduction of around 2,000 people from our global salaried workforce in the next financial year,” it said.

    However, it added that the organizational review did not impact hourly paid, manufacturing employees. JLR, owned by India’s Tata Motors, said earlier that its Land Rover brand will launch six fully electric models over the next five years, with the first in 2024.

    Known for its iconic, high-performance E-Type model in the 1960s and 1970s, Jaguar faces the same challenges as many other carmakers as it transitions to electric vehicles while trying to retain the feeling and power of a luxury combustion engine model.

    Last month, Tata Motors said it was concerned by semiconductor shortages and Brexit-related supply disruptions as its luxury car sales recover, although the Indian automaker added these had not yet hit production.

    Tata Motors posted three straight quarters of losses as the COVID-19 crisis dented sales, exacerbating uncertainties over Britain’s exit from the European Union, weak demand and rising costs, but had bounced back to clock a profit in its third-quarter to the end of December. The 2,000 reductions in JLR’s non-factory jobs was reported earlier on Wednesday.

  • ZTE partners China Telecom and MediaTek to complete industry’s first E2E commercial verification of FAST

    ZTE partners China Telecom and MediaTek to complete industry’s first E2E commercial verification of FAST

    ZTE Corporation, a major international provider of telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for the Mobile Internet, announced that the Sichuan Branch of China Telecom, ZTE and MediaTek have jointly completed the industry’s first end-to-end commercial verification of FAST in Chengdu.

    Based on ZTE’s 5G-NR system and MediaTek’s UE imbedded with Dimensity chipsets, the Sichuan Branch of China Telecom has conducted the verification of FAST in commercial network of 2.1GHz and 3.5GHz. According to the verification result, FAST, compared to 3.5 GHz single carrier, increases the speed rate of uplink about 3 times for a single user at the cell edge.

    FAST, as the main solution of uplink enhancement technology, can deeply and effectively take full advantages of TDD-NR and FDD-NR to boost the 5G uplink performance. With FAST, uplink timeslot availability can be enhanced up to 100% under the condition of the dual-stream capability of UE, realizing the maximum spectrum utilization in both time domain and frequency domain.

    In 5G network commercialization and innovations, China Telecom, ZTE and MediaTek will continue to deepen their cooperation to explore new features and applications of 5G, so as to provide better services for their customers.

  • Tesla Cuts Prices Of Base Variants Of Model 3, Model Y On Its Website

    Tesla Cuts Prices Of Base Variants Of Model 3, Model Y On Its Website

    Tesla Inc has reduced the price of its cheaper variants of the Model 3 sedan and the Model Y sports utility vehicle (SUV), while raising prices for their performance variants, the electric-car maker’s website showed. The price of its Model 3 Standard Range Plus has been lowered to $36,990 from $37,990, while the Model Y Standard Range’s price came down to $39,990 from $41,990, according to the website.

    The carmaker has been making various models in its lineup more affordable at a time when legacy automakers are trying to make inroads in the electric vehicle market.

    The standard range of the Model Y was launched in January, bringing its SUV’s price closer to that of the Model 3 sedan, the electric-car maker’s least expensive car.

    The prices for the Performance variant of the Model 3 rose to $55,990 from $54,990 and Model Y to $60,990 from $59,990, the website showed.

    The price cuts come as Tesla looks to ramp up its deliveries. Overall, the company delivered 499,550 vehicles during 2020, above Wall Street estimates of 481,261 vehicles.

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  • Google Maps makes paying for parking a snap in over 400 U.S. cities

    Google Maps makes paying for parking a snap in over 400 U.S. cities

    Has any app become as useful as Google Maps has become over the years? Every time you turn around, Google has added a new feature. And now, Google Maps users will be able to pay for parking and train tickets directly from the app. If an event runs longer than expected, you can add time to your meter without having to run out of the venue in the cold, driving rain, or miss the game-winning play or the show-stopping number just to feed the meter. You can also avoid touching parking meters, some of which could be lousy with coronavirus.

    Here’s how it works. As you approach your destination (which you’re tracking on Google Maps), the app will show a button that reads “Pay for Parking.” Enter the meter number, the amount of time you want to park there, and tap on pay. Pay for parking starts today with the Google Map app on Android phones in over 400 cities including Boston, Cincinnati, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C, and more. The feature will be coming to iOS soon and is driven by the Passport and ParkMobile apps.

    If you’re looking for transit directions on Google Maps, you’ll see a button giving you the option to pay for public transportation using the credit or debit cards connected to a Google Pay account. Google is adding the ability to pay transit fares from Google Maps for 80 transit agencies around the world. As Google says, “Now you’ll be able to plan your trip, buy your fare, and start riding without needing to toggle between multiple apps. You can understand how to pay in advance and even get your fare ready to go before you arrive at the station – which is helpful when you’re not sure what payment options a transit agency supports.

    When you get transit directions, you’ll see the option to pay with your phone with the credit or debit cards already linked to your Google Pay account. And in places like the San Francisco Bay Area, you’ll also be able to buy a digital Clipper card directly from Google Maps. Once you’ve purchased your fare, all you need to do is tap your phone on the reader or show your digital ticket to breeze on board.” Google Maps’ expansion to 80 transit agencies for ticket payments will rollout on Android in a few weeks.

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  • YouTube TV confirms 4K streaming support and offline viewing option

    YouTube TV confirms 4K streaming support and offline viewing option

    Word that YouTube TV might allow users to download shows for offline view surfaced a few days ago. Today, the company announced several premium features that will be available for all users of the streaming service.

    First and foremost, YouTube TV will introduce a new add-on package with 4K streaming, offline viewing, and unlimited concurrent streams at home. This means that a YouTube TV base plan that supports six user accounts and up to three simultaneous streams will be able to take advantage of the 4K streaming option without restrictions.

    Unfortunately, this will come as “an optional add-on for members” for which they will have to pay. The amount hasn’t been revealed yet, but we suspect it will be announced once the new features will be ready for prime time.

    What’s really strange is the fact that YouTube TV has decided to put the option to download shows for offline viewing under a paywall too. Other streaming services typically offer these features for free, but for some reason, YouTube TV feels that those 3 million paid subscribers that it now has will be willing to pay extra for something that should be free.

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  • Vietnam ranked among world’s top 10 emerging logistics markets

    Vietnam ranked among world’s top 10 emerging logistics markets

    Vietnam has jumped three spots to eighth in this year’s global index of emerging logistics markets after emerging as a popular manufacturing hub.

    The country had an overall score of 5.67 out of 10 in the 2021 Emerging Markets Logistics Index released by leading logistics company Agility.

    The firm ranked 50 economies based on three factors that make them attractive to logistics providers, freight forwarders, shipping lines, air cargo carriers, and distributors: domestic logistics opportunities, international logistics opportunities and business fundamentals.

    Vietnam performed well in international opportunities, ranking fourth globally. It was 18th in domestic logistics opportunities and 21st in business fundamentals, which include regulatory environment, credit and debt dynamics, contract enforcement, anti-corruption safeguards, price stability, and market access.

    “Vietnam has made strides as a manufacturing destination as a small number of companies has looked to ease dependence on Chinese production as a result of U.S.-China trade friction, rising costs and the Covid-19 crisis,” the report said.

    Vietnam’s climb by three places to eighth demonstrates it effectively contained the spread of the virus, positioned itself deftly to absorb manufacturers seeking to leave China and possesses an enviable investment pipeline across a number of sectors, including fashion and electronics, which could see its rise continue in 2022, the report said.

    China remained the world’s leading emerging logistics market followed by India. Indonesia (3rd) and Malaysia (5th) were Southeast Asian countries that did better than Vietnam in the ranking.

    According to the Vietnam Logistics Business Association’s latest survey, there are around 30,000 logistics companies in the country, 4,000 of them foreign-owned.

    The industry has been growing at 12-14 percent annually and is now worth $40-42 billion.

  • Credit Suisse APAC Profits Slip in 2020

    Credit Suisse APAC Profits Slip in 2020

    Pre-tax income at Credit Suisse’s Asia Pacific unit slipped in 2020 mainly due to higher credit loss provisions.

    Pre-tax income for Credit Suisse’s regional business fell 10 percent year-on-year to 828 million Swiss francs ($921 million), according to a statement, driven primarily by higher credit loss provisions which were offset by higher net revenue.

    Regional revenue grew 17 percent to 4.2 billion Swiss francs, accounting for 20 percent of the bank’s overall revenue with higher contributions from the Greater China region and strong collaboration with the global investment banking business. The region posted 8.6 billion Swiss francs of net new assets in 2020 which included a net outflow of 1.1 billion Swiss francs in the fourth quarter.

    Assets under management for the region stayed flat at 221.3 billion Swiss francs compared to 2019’s 220 billion Swiss francs.

    Globally, pre-tax income was down 27 percent to 3.5 billion Swiss francs due to increased provision for credit losses, major litigation provisions and an impairment to the valuation of a non-controlling interest in York Capital Management.

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  • HSBC Singapore CEO to Depart for New Role

    HSBC Singapore CEO to Depart for New Role

    He will be taking on a new role at the Saudi British Bank (SABB) – 31-percent owned by HSBC – from April 4.

    HSBC Singapore will be naming a new chief executive to succeed Tony Cripps, who will be managing director-designate and board member of SABB, the bank said in an internal memo signed by deputy chairman and chief executive Peter Wong.

    Cripps was appointed HSBC Singapore CEO in 2017. He was previously chief executive of HSBC Australia, chief executive of HSBC in the Philippines, and held leadership positions in HSBC’s Global Banking and Markets business in London and Hong Kong.

    Wong said that under Cripps’ leadership, HSBC made key people hires, strategic technology upgrades and proposition enhancement, which resulted in strong underlying revenue growth for the franchise and its wider Asean business.

    He added that HSBC will build on the «clear and focused strategy» Cripps developed, as the bank aims to increase its capability and presence across the region.

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  • 2021 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Teased Ahead Of Global Debut

    2021 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Teased Ahead Of Global Debut

    The all-new Mercedes-Benz C-Class is all set to make its global debut on February 23 and the German carmaker has released a new teaser ahead of its arrival, showing us the silhouette of the new car. Interestingly, the teaser image also shows the silhouette of the C-Class Wagon which is not expected to come to our market but will be sold in the European markets. Now the 2021 Mercedes-Benz C-Class has been spotted testing multiple times and we have some idea of what all it will get and how it will look like.

    The changes made to the new C-Class are expected to give it more of a baby S-Class look where the design will draw inspiration from the flagship in the German carmaker’s range. The face on the new model looks a bit sharper sporting a slightly protruding nose while it also gets a new and bigger radiator grille. Then there are sleeker headlights while at the rear there are horizontal taillights, similar to those we saw in some of the newer models from the carmaker’s stable.

    Now we are not expecting the new C-Class to be a whole lot different from its predecessor but the makeover surely is expected to add a sense of freshness in its appearance. That said, some significant changes are expected on the inside of the new C-Class, starting with a new dashboard that will sport a neatly integrated touchscreen unit, instead of the tablet-like unit in the outgoing model.

    Now, similar changes are expected on the other models in the C-Class range as well, like the AMG C53 and C63 models, but we expect to see the sedan first. Under the hood of the C-Class sedan, we expect to see the new 2.0-liter, four-cylinder diesel, and petrol engines along with a mild-hybrid setup. The model is expected to arrive in 2022 in India while we are waiting for the new A-Class limousine to go on sale this year.

  • Everything is put in place for Cebu Pacific operator’s crucial stock offer to rescue airline

    Everything is put in place for Cebu Pacific operator’s crucial stock offer to rescue airline

    It’s all systems go for the upcoming P12.5-billion stock rights offer of Cebu Air Inc. next month.

    In a disclosure to the local bourse on Wednesday, the operator of loss-making budget carrier Cebu Pacific released the final terms for the fundraising activity meant to keep the airline afloat while lingering coronavirus fears prevent a full take-off to recovery.

    The mega stock rights offer is part of a larger recovery plan worth $500 million that the airline announced last October, which also included a private investor placement of an equal amount. It was unclear whether the balance had been raised already.

    Under the offer, existing common shareholders may buy convertible preferred shares at a conversion price of P38 apiece. Preferred shareholders are entitled to receive fixed dividends with a yield of 6% per year, but they will not have voting rights that common stockholders enjoy.

    Shares will be sold from March 3 to 9, while a tentative listing date was set on March 29. Cebu Air will sell a total of 328.9 million convertible preferred shares to investors for this crucial fundraising activity.

    A chunk of the proceeds worth P4.8 billion will serve as repayment to advances by JG Summit Philippines Ltd., its parent firm. A smaller P3.9 billion would go to aircraft operating lease payments due this year, while P3.3 billion would settle old debts.

    The balance of P384 million would be spent on “general corporate purposes,” primarily for passenger refunds in case cash generated from lackluster operations are insufficient for settlement.

    Unlike regional counterparts that handed bailouts to their cash-strapped carriers like Malaysia and Thailand, the Philippines has been reluctant in spending taxpayers’ money to rescue local airlines on the brink of financial collapse.

    Although Cebu Air is yet to release its full-year financial results, the airline has expected losses to amount to “almost P25 billion” in 2020 that, if realized, will be a reversal of the P9.12 billion in profits in 2019.

    Apart from raising new funds, Cebu Air was also forced to downsize its workforce by 75% last year due to tepid flight operations.

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  • McLaren Reveals The Artura Hybrid Supercar

    McLaren Reveals The Artura Hybrid Supercar

    After months of teasing the car, McLaren has finally revealed the Artura Hybrid supercar. It is McLaren’s first series-production High-Performance Hybrid supercar and is underpinned by the company’s philosophy of super-lightweight engineering. All-new from the ground up, the Artura presented McLaren engineers and designers with new opportunities to innovate, chief among these being how to preserve McLaren’s super-lightweight engineering philosophy when adding hybrid powertrain elements including an E-motor and battery pack.

    The Artura marks the debut of the new McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture (MCLA) – through the uniquely compact HPH powertrain system to the weight of cabling used in the electrical systems (where a 10 percent reduction was achieved), resulted in the Artura having the lightest dry weight of 1,395kg. The total weight of hybrid components is just 130kg (which includes an 88kg battery pack and 15.4kg E-motor), resulting in a DIN kerb weight of 1,498kg which is on par with comparable supercars that do not have hybrid powertrains, giving the Artura a super-lightweight advantage.

    At the heart of the Artura’s powertrain is McLaren’s all-new, 2,993cc twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine. With a power output of 577 bhp – nearly 197 bhp per liter – and 585Nm of torque, the dry-sump aluminum engine is compact and lightweight; at just 160kg it weighs 50kg less than a McLaren V8 and is significantly shorter, enhancing packaging efficiency.

    The 120-degree v-angle of the engine, which allows the turbochargers to be positioned within the ‘hot vee’, delivers further advantages in packaging as well as contributing to a lower center of gravity. The 120-degree layout increases engine performance by reducing the pressure losses through the exhaust system and allows for a stiffer crankshaft that enables a rev limit of 8,500rpm, maximizing performance and driver engagement.

    Inside with the cockpit centered around the driver, the driving mode selection – which retains separate Powertrain and Handling controls – has been moved to the instrument binnacle

    Working in harmony with the new V6 is the Artura’s compact axial flux E-motor, located within the transmission bell housing. Smaller and more power-dense than a conventional radial flux E-motor, it is capable of generating 94bhp and 225Nm and boasts a power density per kilo 33 percent greater than the system used in the McLaren P1.

    The Artura can go from 0-100 kmph in just 3 seconds, 0-200 kph tales 8.3 seconds while the 300 km mark is achieved in 21.5 seconds. Top speed is limited to 330kmph. The dual propulsion systems are integrated via an engine disconnect clutch, driving an all-new, twin-clutch transmission, which has been developed specifically for the Artura.

    The E-motor is powered by a battery pack comprising five lithium-ion modules, offering a usable energy capacity of 7.4kWh and a pure EV range of 30km. The battery is refrigerant cooled using cooling rails, and the assembly – including a power distribution unit that transfers battery power from the rear of the vehicle to the ancillaries in the front – is mounted on a structural carbon fiber floor.

    The Artura is designed with full Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) capability and can be charged to an 80% charge level in just 2.5 hours with a standard EVSE cable. The batteries can also harvest power from the combustion engine during driving, tailored to the driving mode selected.

    The Artura gets advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) including Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane-Departure Warning, Auto High-Beam Assist and Road-Sign Recognition as well as Over-The-Air (OTA) software updates.

    On the design front, the Artura gets a low-nose, cab-forward, high-tail stance and the drama underlined by the signature McLaren dihedral doors – which open closer to the body and house mirrors that fold in more tightly – and further enhanced by the short wheelbase and low stance.

    Inside with the cockpit centred around the driver, the driving mode selection – which retains separate Powertrain and Handling controls – has been moved to the instrument binnacle, which is in turn mounted to the steering column and adjusts with the steering wheel to further enhance driving ergonomics. Consequently, the steering wheel is kept clear of unnecessary switches, however, the driver is still able to adjust driving modes without taking their hands away from the wheel.

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  • Apple receives a patent for a major new Apple Pencil feature

    Apple receives a patent for a major new Apple Pencil feature

    Apple has received a patent that could change the way the Apple Pencil is used. Titled “Multipurpose stylus with exchangeable modules,” the patent covers the tips (or nibs) used on the Apple Pencil. There are various reasons why an Apple Pencil user might want to change the nib on the (with all due respect to the late Steve Jobs) stylus. One, the current nib on the digital pencil could be wearing down and a replacement needed. But another reason to change the Apple Pencil tips would be to change the functionality of the accessory.

    Or as Apple explains it in the patent, “The stylus can provide interchangeability of various removable components, such as removable functional end modules that cover a connector for charging and communicating with the stylus. The various removable components each provide distinct features, thereby allowing the user to select various capabilities by employing each of the various functional end modules.”

    Some of the changes that Apple discusses in the patent includes “a color, a shape, a thickness, a size, a brightness, or an opacity.” The nib (called the “end connector” in the patent) would be removable from the main body and would have a number of sensors. A tactile sensor would detect when the nib touches a surface. Other sensors listed in the patent include a “contact sensor, a capacitive sensor, a touch sensor, a camera, a piezoelectric sensor, a pressure sensor, or a photodiode.” Other possible features found in the accessory could be a an orientation detector, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a biometric reader, a display, a switch, a button, a speaker, a compass, a microphone, a camera, or a voice coil.

    Currently, Apple offers two different generations of the Apple Pencil which are compatible with certain iPad models. Offering interchangeable tips might not only be a revenue-generator for Apple, it obviously could be an easy way for users to expand the functionality of the accessory. The million-dollar question (which might actually be a millions dollar question as far as Apple is concerned) is whether Apple will finally add Pencil support to the iPhone. Consider that Samsung’s multi-functional S Pen now works with the 6.8-inch screen on the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G. However, unlock the Galaxy Note line throughout the years, the accessory has to be purchased separately and there is no place to house the S Pen on the phone.

    While there have been rumors for years about the Apple Pencil coming to the iPhone, this has not taken place yet. Is Apple trying to honor the memory of its late co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs? The executive famously put down the use of a stylus when he introduced the iPhone in January 2007. At that time, before the touchscreen was widely used, many smartphones came with a stylus to help the user navigate through the UI. It needs to be pointed out that these styluses were not as multi-functional as the digital pens are today. Most were merely made of plastic with a sharp tip.

    There are some manufacturers who build phones today that come with a stylus. One popular mid-range model is the LG Stylo which early this year is expected to launch a 5G version of the phone which will be the seventh-generation of the model. Last year, Motorola released the mid-range Moto G Stylus.

    Just because Apple has received a patent for this technology, it doesn’t mean that it definitely will be used. Still, it seems like offering exchangeable tips for the Apple Pencil could be a win-win for users and for Apple. The patent number is 10,921,907 and the technology was originally filed for protection by Apple back in April, 2017.

  • YouTube TV might soon allow users to download shows for offline watching

    YouTube TV might soon allow users to download shows for offline watching

    Most streaming services allow their users to download content for offline watching, which is especially helpful while on the go. Spotify and HBO both offer this option to their customers, but not YouTube TV, at least not for the moment.

    The good news is Google plans to add this nifty feature to the Android app. Apparently, there are strings in the app’s code that refer to this particular feature that’s not yet available. Also, the latest YouTube TV update on Android devices introduces a new alert, which notifies the users about incomplete downloads.

    The strings in the code clearly mention the ability to download shows for offline watching, which will be available in the “downloads” tab of the app. They also refer to a “Download” button that’s not yet available in the YouTube TV app.

    Although the feature was only discovered in the Android app, we expect Google to make it available to YouTube TV users on iOS as well probably at the same time. So, if you’ve been waiting for such a feature know that it will be coming, and very soon apparently.

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  • Electronics exports boom driven by FDI

    Electronics exports boom driven by FDI

    Vietnam’s electronics exports have been booming due to consistent foreign investment in the sector, HSBC said in a recent report.

    The country’s exports rose by 50.5 percent year-on-year in January, with the primary driver of growth being Samsung’s recently released Galaxy S21 smartphone.

    Electronics exports last year were a record $96 billion, or a third of the country’s total exports.

    It attributed the rapid rise to Samsung’s investments since 2008. The South Korean company now has six plants in Vietnam.

    The country has also emerged as a growing supplier of chips with over 11 percent of the global market share in 2019 after growing at 300 percent that year.

    Its increasing production of computers has also supported chip production.

    U.S. company Intel set up a $1-billion chip assembly and testing facility in 2006, and in January 2021 reportedly injected another $475 million to manufacture 5G products and core processors.

    U.S. tech giant Apple has been producing Airpods since May 2020, and is likely to start producing iPads as early as mid-2021.

    Foxconn, a key supplier for Apple, received a license in January to build a $270-million plant in the northern province of Bac Giang. The Taiwanese contract manufacturer has so far invested $1.5 billion in Vietnam.

    Vietnam’s competitive policies will continue to attract quality FDI, which is crucial in helping the country move up the value chain.

    The country has to improve labor productivity through better education and vocational training. The other priority is improving infrastructure, said the report.

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