Apple is giving engineers in China more responsibility over manufacturing processes

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, Apple is giving engineers in China more responsibility in managing its hardware manufacturing processes. The report says that Apple has sent US-based engineers to the country to help oversee development before the Pandemic, but now leans more on China-based engineers.

According to The Wall Street Journal's report, Apple's US-based engineers are still involved with overseas development efforts remotely.

The iPhone maker has also adopted some technology, including live-streaming, that helps staff based at its headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., remotely follow what’s happening on China’s factory floors, the people said. Apple has used iPads to communicate and augmented-reality tools to help technical experts in Cupertino check factory issues, one of the people said.

Key decisions and product design still take place at Apple's California headquarters, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Many of the factories that Apple uses for manufacturing are located in China. In the company's Q2 earnings call, CEO Tim Cook said that the global chip shortage and COVID-19-related disruptions have thrown some major wrench into the company's operations.

There are rumors that the company is working on many new products this year, including the iPhone 14 lineup, a new MacBook Air, and the second-generation AirPods Pro. It is not clear if the development of these products has been slowed down despite Apple's adjustments. There is always the chance that Apple will release them later than expected.