Kuo: AirPods Pro, Apple Watch Series 6, and iPod Touch Getting New Suppliers in 2020

Thursday January 2, 2020 5:43 am PST by Joe Rossignol

Apple will be making several changes to the suppliers of its products in 2020, according to reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

airpods pro opposite apple watch series 5
For starters, Kuo expects Chinese company Goertek to begin assembly of AirPods Pro in the first half of the year. The addition of a second supplier alongside Luxshare Precision should help improve supply of the popular earphones, which continue to face multi-week shipping estimates on Apple.com.

Luxshare itself will replace Quanta Computer as the exclusive manufacturer and supplier of S-series chips for the new Apple Watch in 2020, aka Series 6 models if Apple sticks with its naming trend, Kuo added.

And last, Kuo expects Chinese manufacturer BYD Electronic to replace Quanta Computer as the sole assembler of the iPod touch in 2020, as well as obtain at least 10-20 percent of non-cellular iPad orders. Naturally, if this goes well, the company is expected to receive an even larger percentage of orders in 2021 and beyond.

Kuo outlined these details in a research note with investment firm TF International Securities, seen by GeekWebGuides.

Related Roundups: AirPods Pro 3, Apple Watch 12

Tags: Ming-Chi Kuo, TF International Securities

Buyer's Guide: AirPods Pro (Neutral), Apple Watch (Buy Now)

Related Forums: AirPods, Apple Watch, iPod touch and iPod

Popular Stories

Apple Watch Series 12, Ultra 4 Owners Report Skin Irritation

Wednesday October 7, 2026 12:02 pm PDT by Juli Clover

Some Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 owners have experienced unexpected skin irritation with the new models, according to reports on the GeekWebGuides forums and Reddit. Affected users complain of a burning sensation and redness under the sensor area. The Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 measure heart rate every five seconds, and some people have wondered if that's the cause of the skin...

• 174 comments

GeekWebGuides Giveaway: Win an Apple Watch Series 12 and a Nylon Band From Southern Straps

Friday October 9, 2026 10:20 am PDT by Juli Clover

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Southern Straps to offer GeekWebGuides readers a chance to win an Apple Watch Series 12 and a nylon band from Southern Straps to go along with it. Southern Straps is a California-based company that has been making high-quality bands for the Apple Watch since the device first launched in 2015, and the company's selection of bands offer a an...

• 11 comments

apple watch series 6 blood oxygen monitoring 1

Apple's $634 Million Apple Watch Patent Bill Just Got Even Bigger

Tuesday October 6, 2026 6:09 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

Apple's $634 million patent loss to medical technology company Masimo has just gotten even bigger, after a federal judge ordered Apple to pay an additional $184 million in interest on what it owes (via Bloomberg Law). The ruling takes Apple's bill to around $818 million, but that doesn't include any post-judgment interest continuing to accrue until the judgment is paid. Judge James Selna ...

• 48 comments

Top Rated Comments

EugW

89 months ago

Honest question: does anybody outside of Apple, the suppliers and perhaps Wall Street analysts care about which supplier Apple is using for a certain product or product component? I never understood why rumor sites considered these stories newsworthy.

Qualcomm vs Intel was a pretty important one people were concerned about. Also, Samsung vs TSMC.

Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Bandaman

89 months ago

apple watch series 6 huh? Maybe I will wait for series 7 and ditch my series 2?

Why not hold off until the Series 8? It'll be even better.

Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

44267547

89 months ago

Quanta discontinuing their production for the Apple Watch was reportedly due to ‘profit concerns’ (See link below), which was initially reported back in October. There’s nothing wrong with having another supplier for the Apple Watch, hopefully it still meet/exceeds the quality of Quanta with Luxshare taking over.

https://www.geekwebguides.com/2019/10/16/quanta-may-stop-apple-watch-assembly-2020/amp/

Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

44267547

89 months ago

It’s time for Tim to go. The “supply chain genius” does not seem to consider the longterm consequences.

But..Tim isn’t leaving, And I think you know that already, but I digress. But lets talk about what do we know v.s unrealistic projections. The success of the Watch is based on the future suppliers that Apple coordinated through Cooks supply relations. Say what you want, but don’t deny his expertise with what he has executed with logistics/coordination.

Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

PickUrPoison

89 months ago

Instead of shifting away from China and diversifying, Apple doubles down on it. China has Apple by the balls and it’s getting more and more concerning. It’s time for Tim to go. The “supply chain genius” does not seem to consider the longterm consequences.

I’m sure Apple appreciates your concern, but they’ll be ok. Cook probably only has another two or three decades of tenure so when he decides to leave, they may indeed feel the loss of his supply chain expertise.

But someone else will probably be available to take over Jeff Williams’s spot and the supply chain experts reporting to him

Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)