Apple is mass producing AirPods in Vietnam for the frist time. (Nikkei Montage/AP/Reuters)

But the paper added AirPods Pro, Apple’s high-end earphone version, plus iPhones and MacBooks are still mainly assembled in China. The mass production of AirPods in Vietnam began in March, according to the Nikkei.

AirPods, the most rapidly growing item in Apple's hardware product portfolio, are the world's best-selling wireless Bluetooth earphones. They commanded about 50% of the global market last year, selling around 65 million units, the Nikkei quoted  Counterpoint Research as saying.

Apple has gradually formed a more complete acoustics supply chain in north Vietnam, where its  partners have long sourced its traditional EarPods, the wired headphones that come with iPhones, Nikkei Asian Review said.