Fraudulent iPhone repair claims are big business in China. To the point where about 60 percent of the handsets being repaired under warranty in that country were part of scams.
Apple has had to make draconian efforts to even slow the rate at which Chinese criminal gangs are stealing from it.
One of the most important components of the 2018 iPhone could be produced by a company with very strong ties to the Chinese government.
BOE Technology Group already makes some LCD screens for Apple, but also wants to manufacture OLED displays used in flagship iPhone models.
Shipments of iPhone in China increased 32 percent in the first quarter of this year. This was during a period when the overall Chinese handset market declined.
Many Chinese see Apple devices as status symbols and pick them over local brands that cost significantly less.
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.
Apple distributors in a coastal province in China have been arrested for allegedly trying to sell iPhone user data, according to reports.
Police in Zhejiang rounded up 22, accusing the distributors of searching an internal Apple database for Apple IDS and phone numbers. Prices for the data were cheap, ranging from a U.S. dollar equivalent of $1.50 to $26.
