The iPhone is lagging behind competitors in China. But if Apple notices a sudden uptick in sales, they may have an old friend to thank.
At a tech conference in the Guangdong province of China Tuesday, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak praised Chinese manufacturers for making smartphones with great functions and affordable prices.
But Woz said the iPhone is still worth the extra money.
“Here’s is what I admire about Chinese phones: really good intelligent decisions about how to lower the cost but keep enough of the functionality,” Wozniak said, according to a story in the South China Morning Post. “In life, I don’t believe in quantity as much as I do in quality. So (Apple) may not have the hugest share in the market, but you should have the best product you can possibly build and Apple qualifies for that.”
Wozniak’s comments were made to reporters Tuesday following a discussion on artificial intelligence with Liu Zihong, CEO for Royole, which makes displays and sensors for smart devices, including a 3D virtual mobile theater.
Despite gains in the market, Apple reported first-quarter revenues fell 14-percent with shipments in the first three months down more than 26 percent compared to the first quarter of 2016. Apple ranks fourth behind Huawei, Oppo, and Vivo.
Chinese companies prioritize cost-effectiveness, Wozniak said, but Apple remains a leader in innovation with a number of features, such as touch ID.
“Apple products are safe,” he said. “And Apple’s pricing is high in the extreme. It’s a safe bet for a lot of people, and when you love Apple, you are willing to pay for it.”
Wozniak told the Chinese press that he has played with a number of smartphones from various brands. Despite his praise for handsets made in China, he hasn’t found one he could live with.
“Sometimes there were reasons that they didn’t work for me, and Russian phones as well,” he said.
Source: South China Morning Post
