Apple is making a big change to the way it accepts payments at its stores in China this week.
As part of its effort to increase sales in the second most important iPhone market, Apple is now embracing Alipay at its 41 brick-and-mortar stores located throughout China.
Battery life on the iPhone X got you down? Consider downgrading to an iPhone X knock-off fresh out of China.
The Chinese company Oukitel unveiled its newest iPhone copycat this week that comes with a lot of the same features for a fraction of the cost, including a vertically stacked dual-lens camera and face unlocking.
The first big Apple earnings report for 2018 is nearly here. And, based on analysts’ expectations, it will likely be Apple’s biggest moneymaking quarter ever.
After weeks of waiting, investors will finally get their first look at how well the iPhone X is selling. Apple’s holiday sales probably hit historic levels. But with recent reports that Apple slashed iPhone X orders in half, there could be quite a few surprises in store.
As usual, Cult of Mac will be here to liveblog all the action as it transpires on Thursday, February 1, at 2 p.m. Pacific. Get ready to watch for these six things during the call:
Apple has given its Clip app for iOS a minor upgrade, celebrating Chinese New Year, which takes place next month.
The app’s update includes a commemorative Chinese New Year label and poster, along with minor updates for improved stability when recording Selfie Scenes on iPhone X, and a fix for an issue that caused the “Top Secret poster” to animate incorrectly during playback.
There are lots of wonderful things that rival smartphone makers could steal from the iPhone X, but its notch shouldn’t be one of them. It seems some Chinese vendors didn’t get that memo — as you can see from these photos of one iPhone clone with a notch of its own.
Foxconn isn’t the only Apple supplier to be accused of having hazardous working conditions. According to a new report, manufacturer Catcher Technology Co. — which produces casings for iPhones and MacBooks — also promotes an unsafe work environment in its factories.
This includes getting employees to handle noxious chemicals without the proper gloves or masks; cold, cramped accommodation, and an excessively loud workplace, with noise levels over 80 decibels and a lack of earplugs to protect workers’ hearing.
A Chinese consumer group is joining the number of organizations and individuals asking Apple for more information about its purposeful slowing down of older iPhones as their batteries degrade.
In a letter sent to Apple this week, the Shanghai Consumer Council asks Apple for details about what it plans to do to rectify the issue. It wants a response by Friday.
There appears to be a bit of confusion regarding who is and isn’t going to be affected by Apple’s migration of China-based iCloud accounts to a server operated by a Chinese company next month.
According to a new report, the migration of iCloud accounts is also affecting a number of accounts that were opened in the U.S., are paid for with U.S. dollars, and are connected with U.S.-based App Store accounts.
Apple’s iCloud services in mainland China will switch over to a server operated by a Chinese company starting next month.
Apple sent out a message to customers in China, revealing terms and conditions of the changeover. This includes the fact that both Apple and the Chinese firm, Guizhou-Cloud Big Data Industry (GCBD), will now have access to all customer data stored on iCloud.
It’s taken no time at all for Chinese companies to copy one of Apple’s most anticipated products of 2018, and it’s not even out yet.
Apple’s AirPower wireless charging pad isn’t expected to roll out for a few months, but one company in Shenzhen China has already come out with its version that looks and performs just like Apple’s.
Check it out:
Apple is facing a lawsuit in China from a local clothing brand, which argues that Apple is infringing on its design trademark with its logo for App Store.
Apple changed the icon for the App Store in August this year — jettisoning the previous image showing a ruler, pencil and paintbrush crossing over to form an “A” shape, in favor of a simplified version of the same image. Unfortunately, clothing brand Kon has been using a similar image dating back to 2009, supposed to show skeletons bones symbolizing triumph over death.
Democratic Party Senator for Vermont Patrick Leahy has argued that Apple has a “moral obligation” to push back against suppression of free expression in China.
Leahy, who is the most senior senator and took office in 1975, has previously questioned Apple’s relationship with the government in China. In a new interview with CNBC, he said that, “American tech companies have become leading champions of free expression. But that commitment should not end at our borders.”
Apple CEO Tim Cook gave a keynote speech at China’s World Internet Conference on Sunday, reaffirming Apple’s commitment to China, which Cook has previously called Apple’s future biggest market.
Cook said the theme of the conference, which he described as a “developing a digital economy for openness and shared benefits,” is one that is shared by Apple.
Face ID on the iPhone X could soon face some stiff competition from one of Apple’s biggest rivals in China.
Huawei unveiled its latest tech today that is destined for its Android smartphones and it looks like the company may have come up with a facial recognition solution that’s already better than Face ID.
China may be working to ban Skype, with the phone call and messaging service disappearing from a number of sites, including Apple’s App Store in the country.
“We have been notified by the Ministry of Public Security that a number of voice over internet protocol apps do not comply with local law,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement. “Therefore these apps have been removed from the App Store in China.”
Apple CEO Tim Cook along with Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg met with Chinese President Xi Jinping today as Apple prepares to launch the iPhone X in the country this week.
The two tech CEOs were on hand at the annual gathering of advisers to Beijing’s Tsinghua University business school, where Xi spoke to business leaders and other officials.
Apple fans in China who coughed up more cash for an Apple Watch with LTE almost certainly regret that decision today. The government has reportedly blocked the feature after brief availability with one carrier due to security concerns.
Apple’s bitter legal feud with Qualcomm is being taken to an all-new level over in China.
The San Diego-based chip company has filed a lawsuit with a Beijing intellectual property court demanding all sales and production of the iPhone to be banned.
Chinese companies copying Silicon Valley tech giants, and thereby infringing on intellectual property rights, is something that has been an issue for years.
It seems that U.S. tech companies are striking back, however, with a trade group that represents companies including Apple, Google, and IBM speaking out against Chinese regulators at an International Trade Commission hearing this week.
Smartphone sales are exploding in emerging markets like China and India. Apple has been trying to take advantage of that for years, and it insists it is succeeding. But in reality, other manufacturers are dominating the premium smartphone segment.
According to the latest data, OnePlus handsets accounted for 57 percent of all premium handsets sold in India during the second quarter of 2017.
A Chinese woman has gone blind in one eye after playing a hugely addictive mobile game. The 21-year-old suffered retinal artery occlusion caused by severe eye strain after playing the online battle game for up to eight hours without taking a break.
Another iPhone 8 Plus handset with an allegedly swollen battery has been discovered in China, following multiple reports of similar instances.
Chinese state media is reporting that an iPhone buyer named Liu received a newly purchased iPhone 8 Plus in the mail, which arrived cracked open on October 5. The iPhone reportedly had no signs of scorching or an explosion, and Liu says he did not charge the handset.
Apple has confirmed that it is investigating reports of two iPhone 8 Plus handsets which reportedly burst open — one while being charged, and the other while out for delivery to its buyer.
Apple told the U.K.’s Independent newspaper that it was “looking into” these incidents, but declined further comment.
The iPhone X is all but guaranteed to carry Apple’s biggest ever iPhone price tag, and that could severely damage its chances of success in China, a new report claims.
With the rumored $1,000 asking price being roughly twice the average Chinese monthly salary, it is likely that the price will see the iPhone’s Chinese market share continue its decline.
Apple won’t be bringing the headphone jack back to iPhone, so if it’s a feature you’re not prepared to lose anytime soon, you’re stuck with the iPhone 6s. Or are you?
One man, who recently built his own iPhone from scratch using components sourced in a Chinese tech market, has figured out a way to install a headphone jack in the iPhone 7. It’s the ultimate mod for music lovers.