Apple Reportedly Pressures Pegatron into Ceasing ASUS Zenbook Production - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Apple Reportedly Pressures Pegatron into Ceasing ASUS Zenbook Production

asus zenbook 1
Digitimes reports on an article from Taiwanese newspaper Commerical Times claiming that Apple manufacturing partner Pegatron has ended its relationship with ASUS for production of the Zenbook under pressure from Apple. According to the report, Apple is displeased with the similarity in appearance between ASUS's Zenbook and the MacBook Air and forced Pegatron's hand with an ultimatum stating that Pegatron needed to choose one company or the other.

Apple reportedly was unhappy about Pegatron's production of Asustek's Zenbook models, which are similar to its MacBook Air, especially in its outer design, and therefore, demand Pegatron make a choice, claimed the paper, which added that Pegatron began to assemble iPhones for Apple in 2011 and is eager to solicit orders for next-generation iPads from the vendor.

Pegatron will reportedly wind down production of the Zenbook by next month as ASUS is forced to switch over to Compal or Wistron for manufacturing.

asus zenbook 2

Popular Stories

Apple Card iPhone 16 Pro Feature

Apple Card Promo to Offer Free AirPods Pro 3

Friday May 15, 2026 8:59 am PDT by
Starting as early as next week, customers who sign up for an Apple Card at Apple's retail stores in the U.S. will receive $249 cash back when they purchase AirPods Pro 3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The promotion has yet to be officially announced by Apple, so exact terms and conditions are not available at this time. AirPods Pro 3 are priced at $249 in the U.S., so customers who...
Apple WWDC25 iOS 26 CarPlay Light mode 250609

Six Popular iPhone Apps Now Available on CarPlay

Thursday May 14, 2026 9:10 am PDT by
Apple's CarPlay system for accessing iPhone apps on a vehicle's dashboard screen has received six popular apps in recent weeks: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Grok, Google Meet, WhatsApp, and the indie artist streaming platform Audiomack. Make sure you have the latest version of each app and they will automatically appear on CarPlay. ChatGPT Starting with iOS 26.4, CarPlay supports voice-based...
ipad mini 7 blue

OLED iPad Mini: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Thursday May 14, 2026 5:08 am PDT by
According to the latest rumors, Apple is close to launching its next-generation iPad mini. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released over a year ago? Read on to find out. Processor and Performance Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to information found in code...

Top Rated Comments

ryanmcv Avatar
186 months ago
Apparently Apple forgot about the HP Envy:

MacRumors content image

http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/28/hp-envy-15-review-early-2012/
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Peace Avatar
186 months ago
At first I said Huh ? Then I went and looked at the Zenbook. It looks almost exactly like a Macbook Air.

Good for Apple.

Why can't these companies design their own laptops and tablets.

Lazy people. Just do what Apple does. That's the new PC mantra.
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tigres Avatar
186 months ago
For Real?
ballsy...

:apple: please don't start the Wal-Mart philosophy of threatening your vendors.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
186 months ago
Totally makes sense. I'm in marketing and we'd be dropped in a second if we worked with competing brands.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
186 months ago
But it is not a mba

This is bullying by Apple. Pure and simple

How is it bullying? It isn't as if Pegatron has a right to make products for Apple, or even that Apple is suing ASUS on a questionable design patent. Pepsi might voice displeasure if a significant supplier signed a big deal with Coke, or vice versa.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jace88 Avatar
186 months ago
For a good laugh, check out the design story behind the Zenbook: http://zenbook.asus.com/design/
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)