Nearly two years after launch, China’s regulator has given Apple the green light to launch Apple Intelligence in the country.
Apple will rely on AI models from Baidu and Alibaba to power Apple Intelligence features in China.
To make the most of the upcoming Lunar New Year in China, Apple is running some special offers at its stores. The sale will run from January 24-27, with Apple taking up to 1,000 yuan (~$145) off on select products.
The limited-time promotional offer should help further boost iPhone shipments in the country.
After a month’s delay, Apple will launch the iPhone Air in China on Wednesday, October 22. Preorders for the device will begin this Friday, October 17.
Apple pushed back the iPhone Air’s September launch in China at the last minute due to regulatory hurdles around eSIM support.
Apple’s iPhone 17 lineup has taken China by storm, with first-day sales reportedly far outpacing the iPhone 16.
In the first week alone, Apple moved an estimated 1.03 million iPhone 17 units — a massive 47% jump over its predecessor.
Apple’s super-slim iPhone Air will not launch in China on September 19. The company also did not start accepting preorders for the device today in the country.
The issue stems from the iPhone Air only supporting eSIM — it lacks a physical SIM slot. So, the company needs additional regulatory approval for the phone’s launch in China.
In a major supply chain shift, Apple plans to move the production of all iPhones sold in the United States to India by the end of 2026. This move should allow the company to avoid the extra tariffs the U.S. government imposed on China amid escalating trade tensions.
Apple will rely on Alibaba to bring Apple Intelligence to China. While the Cupertino giant launched its AI features with iOS 18.1 late last year, they are yet to go live in China.
Apple reportedly held talks with several Chinese companies, including Baidu and ByteDance, to power its AI services in the country.
Apple’s efforts to move iPhone assembly to India and Vietnam are reportedly being hampered by the Chinese government.
The iPhone-maker wants to increase the number of countries in which its products are assembled amidst a worsening U.S./China trade war.
In a rare move, Apple is offering discounts of up to RMB 500 ($68.5) on iPhones in China. The promo runs from January 4 through 7 and only applies to selected payment methods.
Apple rarely provides direct discounts on its products, especially on newer models. However, it seems to be making an exception in China.
Apple held talks with China Mobile in 2023 to bring Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade to China. If the two parties agree, Apple will gain access to over 200 million of China Mobile’s broadband and TV customers.
It is unclear whether Apple and China Mobile are still in talks and have reached an agreement.
iPhone shipments apparently bounced back sharply in China in recent months. Apple reportedly saw a 52% increase in shipments following heavy discounts by third-party retailers.
Since the beginning of 2024, Apple has seen a double-digit decline in iPhone demand in China. A resurgent Huawei also made things difficult for Apple, as the Chinese company registered a sales growth of 69.9% in the first quarter.
Apple CEO Tim Cook’s trip to China apparently scored a big win: Tencent will reportedly bring some of its biggest apps to the Vision Pro AR headset. The company developed both the hugely popular WeChat super app plus a wide array of successful games.
Vision Pro has not yet launched in China but the debut is expected soon.
Apple previewed its unusual new retail location in Shanghai Monday. Apple Jing’an, located near Jing’an Temple and Jing’an Park, opens Thursday. Encircled by a plaza, Apple Jing’an store in Shanghai will be a community gathering place and “a one-of-a-kind shopping destination,” the iPhone giant said.
Apple will run a promotion in China offering up to RMB 800 ($70 off) on iPhones. The sale will run from January 18-21 and is available through Apple’s online and retail stores in the country.
The Cupertino company is providing discounts on the most popular products in its portfolio, including iPhone 15 Pro, MacBook Air, and AirPods.
Apple’s latest iPhones are available with deep discounts of up to $200 in China. Many analysts believe Apple’s iPhone 15 series has been doing poorly in China.
The slowdown in sales has caused online Chinese e-commerce companies to offer hefty discounts on the new iPhones.
Apple CEO Tim Cook was one of the few executives from U.S. companies to attend the China Development Forum in Beijing over the weekend as tensions between the two countries continue.
In a speech, Cook spoke about the “symbiotic kind of relationship” that Apple and China have.
Ahead of the Chinese New Year on January 22, 2023, Apple has released a limited-edition AirPods Pro in the country. The charging case of the earbuds features a Year of the Rabbit engraving.
Besides the engraving, the special edition AirPods Pro retail box features the Year of the Rabbit graphics.
Apple has expedited plans to move a part of its supply chain outside of China. The company is asking suppliers to increase their assembly base in India and Vietnam.
Over the last year, China’s strict COVID-19 restrictions have disrupted Apple’s production lines in the country multiple times.
Protests over unpaid bonuses, anti-COVID-19 controls and even food quality led police to clash with hundreds of workers at the world’s largest iPhone factory in China, reports indicated Wednesday.
Social media videos and witnesses in Zhengzhou, where Foxconn operates a giant factory nicknamed “iPhone City,” said police beat and detained protesters.
Plague Inc., the popular game pulled from the Apple App Store in China last month, may soon have company – by the thousands.
A new report predicts some 21,500 App Store for-pay titles in China could get tossed because developers will be unable to meet a June 30 deadline for having a license.
Samsung is less exposed to the negative effects of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak in China than many of its rivals, including Apple.
But the opposite is true of Huawei, a China-based smartphone-maker likely getting hurt more than Apple.
Foxconn reportedly won‘t be able to resume iPhone assembly on Monday. Its plants in China where Apple handsets are put together have been closed since before the Lunar New Year to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, and the government has allegedly forbidden them to reopen next week, literally on pain of death.
No matter what President Trump keeps insisting, his upcoming tariffs on all Apple products will be paid for either by the company or by Americans who buy iPhones, iPads and Macs.
A market-analysis firm warns that If Apple chooses to pass the cost of these import taxes onto its customers, sales of iPhone could drop 20%.
The iPhone is about to be caught in President Trump’s trade war with China. A month from today, the US will begin charging a 10% tax to import iPhone, iPad, and other devices. They are part of $300 billion dollars worth of imports getting new tariffs.
Trump’s decision caused a 2.0% drop in Apple’s share price.
The drop in iPhone sales among Chinese consumers that hurt Apple so much last year is now a thing of the past, according to market analysts. The company saw five straight months of growth in that important region.