Apple looking to India, not China, to produce iPhones and more: Report

[Hitman]

Apple Inc. is looking to India to help boost production outside China, people involved in these discussions told the Wall Street Journal this week, citing strict Covid-19 norms in China that are affecting the company's ability to meet demand for its products. By some estimates Chinese manufacturers account for over 90 per cent of iPhones, iPads and MacBook Air laptops.

Analysts also told WSJ Apple looking to reduce dependence on China is an expression of the risks it faces given Beijing's 'authoritarian Communist government' and its clashes with the United States.

Apple has declined to comment so far, WSJ said. In April, though, CEO Tim Cook said: "Our supply chain is truly global… products are made everywhere. We continue to look at optimising."

India is seen as a real possibility because of a large workforce and low production costs.

Apple last month predicted bigger supply problems amid Covid-19 lock-downs in China. It said spiking Covid levels (and restrictions) could affect sales by a massive US$ 8 billion in the first quarter alone.


Multiple lock-downs in Shanghai and other major cities - includingZhengzhou in east-central China, home to Foxconn, which operates a large iPhone factory - underlined the need to do so. China's restrictions have also meant Apple is unable to personally monitor production sites and levels.

India is already home to a handful of firms contracted to manufacture Apple's products, including Foxconn Technology Group and Wistron Corp., both of which are Taiwan-based companies.

A Foxconn facility near Chennai is already producing the iPhone 13 and Apple is now speaking to existing suppliers about expanding in India, including producing for export, those involved in the talks told the Wall Street Journal.

Wistron has a plant in Karnataka but that has been shut since December 2020 after a protest by contract workers over non-payment of wages, unexplained salary cuts and long work hours among other reasons, took a violent turn.

The Foxconn plant too ran into trouble after horrific living conditions and unsanitary food landed nearly 160 factory workers in hospital and led to more violent clashes.

One possible obstacle to all this will be frosty political relations between India and China, particularly after the conflict and hostile stand-off in Ladakh in 2020, as well as the construction of a second bridge over the Pangong Lake.

The Enforcement Directorate's action against Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi hasn't helped matters either.

India made 3.1 per cent of the world’s iPhones last year, according to WSJ, and the proportion is forecast to increase up to 7 per cent this year. China accounts for almost all of the rest.

Link: https://www.hindustantimes.com/indi...ones-and-more-report-101653213950176-amp.html

 

[JaDed]

I don’t know why can’t we wait before its finalized, Tesla left India for Indonesia as well.

 

[cricketjoshila]

I don’t know why can’t we wait before its finalized, Tesla left India for Indonesia as well.

Because India refused Tesla's demands of importing fully made cars with duty cuts.

iPhone is already manufactured in India at multiple locations. What i don't trust is the commie trade and labour unions, they seem to create issues everytime a company shifts production from China to India.

 

[Hitman]

Because India refused Tesla's demands of importing fully made cars with duty cuts.

iPhone is already manufactured in India at multiple locations. What i don't trust is the commie trade and labour unions, they seem to create issues everytime a company shifts production from China to India.

That's right. India refused Tesla's demand relating to duty cuts of imported cars.

 

[Major]

Because India refused Tesla's demands of importing fully made cars with duty cuts.

iPhone is already manufactured in India at multiple locations. What i don't trust is the commie trade and labour unions, they seem to create issues everytime a company shifts production from China to India.

You dont want the basic wage increase for the poor labourer?

 

[Hextro]

This was bound to happen at some point. China's population's living standards have risen drastically in the last decade, China's workforce is moving from the Primary and Secondary sectors to the Tertiary sector.

It's only natural for Apple to move to a country whose economy isn't as advanced and thus doesn't demand high wages. This is a smart business decision for Apple because it will help them reduce costs, let's see how it works out for them in the long run.

 

[Hextro]

This was bound to happen at some point. China's population's living standards have risen drastically in the last decade, China's workforce is moving from the Primary and Secondary sectors to the Tertiary sector.

It's only natural for Apple to move to a country whose economy isn't as advanced and thus doesn't demand high wages. This is a smart business decision for Apple because it will help them reduce costs, let's see how it works out for them in the long run.

Just to add to this, I'm sure Apple will move their production to other 3rd world countries as well.

 

[Hitman]

Just to add to this, I'm sure Apple will move their production to other 3rd world countries as well.

Last I heard Samsung phones were ridiculously expensive in Pakistan because of import duties? On a serious note, what foreign brand of smartphones have manufacturing plants in Pakistan? I really don't know.

 

[cricketjoshila]

You dont want the basic wage increase for the poor labourer?

Its not about any good for the workers, its about disrupting the work for political and other gains.

 

[Major]

Its not about any good for the workers, its about disrupting the work for political and other gains.

So you think labour unions dong improve the working conditions and pay conditions of the workers?

 

[Hextro]

Last I heard Samsung phones were ridiculously expensive in Pakistan because of import duties? On a serious note, what foreign brand of smartphones have manufacturing plants in Pakistan? I really don't know.

This is going a bit off topic since the topic is about Apple but oh well.

Pakistan put import duties on imported phones in order to force phone companies to set up assembly plants in Pakistan, that strategy has paid divides a year or two after its inception.

"KARACHI: One of the world’s largest manufacturers of mobile phones, Samsung, has finally started production in Pakistan, lifting hopes of the authorities and the industry that this would cut down the import bill of the country in the months to come."

https://www.dawn.com/news/1661220

Local manufactured Mobile phones percentage has touched 91.1% in April 2022.

Local manufacturing: 2.5 million
Imported: 0.25 million

 

[Hitman]

This is going a bit off topic since the topic is about Apple but oh well.

Pakistan put import duties on imported phones in order to force phone companies to set up assembly plants in Pakistan, that strategy has paid divides a year or two after its inception.

"KARACHI: One of the world’s largest manufacturers of mobile phones, Samsung, has finally started production in Pakistan, lifting hopes of the authorities and the industry that this would cut down the import bill of the country in the months to come."

https://www.dawn.com/news/1661220

Local manufactured Mobile phones percentage has touched 91.1% in April 2022.

Local manufacturing: 2.5 million
Imported: 0.25 million

India uses the same strategy. But you didn't answer my question. How many foreign brands manufacture their smartphones in Pakistan?

 

[Hitman]

India uses the same strategy. But you didn't answer my question. How many foreign brands manufacture their smartphones in Pakistan?

Sorry, couldn't edit my post as time ran out.

India uses the same strategy. Samsung has started production in Pakistan? Anyways, Samsung manufactures 33% of it's overall worldwide production of all of it's products in India. I wonder what took Samsung so long to start production in Pakistan. Do they manufacture their flagship phones in Pakistan as well?

What other foreign brands manufacture their smartphones in Pakistan?

 

[cricketjoshila]

So you think labour unions dong improve the working conditions and pay conditions of the workers?

Some do. But the leftist ones hardly do anything good. They disrupt. Infact they are more interested in furthering chinese interests than Indian.

 

[Major]

Some do. But the leftist ones hardly do anything good. They disrupt. Infact they are more interested in furthering chinese interests than Indian.

If wages are properly adjusted why is that a harm? Why should you lower your own standards to satisfy others

 

[Varun]

Over the last 30 years China has done a lot of manufacturing and India has done a lot of services.

Both are now looking to diversify this basket.

 

[Hextro]

Sorry, couldn't edit my post as time ran out.

India uses the same strategy. Samsung has started production in Pakistan? Anyways, Samsung manufactures 33% of it's overall worldwide production of all of it's products in India. I wonder what took Samsung so long to start production in Pakistan. Do they manufacture their flagship phones in Pakistan as well?

What other foreign brands manufacture their smartphones in Pakistan?

Buddy, I'm gonna be honest with you, I don't care enough about phone manufacturing to look up every individual phone company in Pakistan that manufactures smartphones locally.

This stat tells us everything we need to know about phone manufacturing in Pakistan.

Import of phones:

2020 - 24.51 million, 2021 - 10.26 million

Local manufacturing:

2020 - 13.05 million, 2021 - 24.66 million

Lastly, the reason it took so long for companies to start manufacturing phones in Pakistan was because PPP and PMLN are incompetent.

 

[cricketjoshila]

If wages are properly adjusted why is that a harm? Why should you lower your own standards to satisfy others

There are a number of trade and labour unions in India, larger than the leftist ones, yet the only ones involved in disruption and vandalism are leftist ones.

They don't do anything of value, rather work to drive away companies.

 

[JaDed]

https://www.foxbusiness.com/technol...g-narrows-tech-gap-between-india-china-report

Apple's iPhone 14 manufacturing narrows tech gap between India, China: report
India has been promoting itself as an alternative for iPhone production as China deals with COVID-19 lockdowns and U.S. sanctions

———-

Even thought its too late but I guess we still need jobs and a vision.

 

[Champ_Pal]

India must do everything to have these big tech companies establish themselves in India. India needs jobs. Even if they are low end. This is the only way to lift Poor Indians in the North Indian states out of poverty. They are abundant with man power. At least they can make a decent wage.

 

[MenInG]

Apple supplier Foxconn has apologised for a "technical error" in its payment systems, a day after its iPhone factory in China was rocked by angry protests.

Videos had showed hundreds of workers marching at the world's biggest iPhone factory in the city of Zhengzhou, with complaints over Covid restrictions and claims of overdue pay.

Those livestreaming the protests said workers were beaten by police.

One Foxconn worker told the BBC that the situation had since been resolved.

Last month, rising Covid cases saw the factory locked down, prompting some workers to break out and go home. The company then recruited new workers with the promise of generous bonuses.

But one worker said these contracts were changed so they "could not get the subsidy promised", adding that they were quarantined without food.

On Thursday, Foxconn released a statement saying a "technical error occurred during the onboarding process", adding that the pay of new recruits was "the same as agreed [in the] official recruitment posters".

The firm said they were in constant communication with the affected employees about the the pay and bonuses and was doing its best "to actively solve the concerns and reasonable demands of employees".

A worker also told the BBC on Thursday that he had since received 8,000 yuan ($1120; £926) and was set to receive another 2,000 yuan. He added that there were no more protesters and that he and his colleague would return to the Foxconn factory.

The Zhengzhou plant employs more than 200,000 people to make Apple Inc devices including the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.

Separately on Thursday, authorities ordered the city to get into lockdown, saying they would not be able to leave the area unless they had a negative Covid test - affecting more than six million people in the city.

It comes as China has recorded a new Covid case peak since the pandemic began, with the country seeing a wave of outbreaks with several major cities like Beijing and Guangzhou affected.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has called on China to recalibrate its zero-Covid strategy as its economic growth shrinks.

The world's second largest economy has seen its gross domestic product (GDP) fall by 2.6% in the three months to the end of June from the previous quarter.

"Although the zero-COVID strategy has become nimbler over time, the combination of more contagious COVID variants and persistent gaps in vaccinations have led to the need for more frequent lockdowns, weighing on consumption and private investment, including in housing," according to an IMF annual report on China.

The financial organisation also called for Beijing to increase its vaccinations and offer relief for the country's property sector crisis.

However, some analysts believe the IMF's guidance won't convince China to change its policies.

"Given that China is unlikely to be going to the IMF for help, it doesn't really matter whether they pay attention to this statement or not, according to the Global Chief Economist of The Economist Intelligence Unit Simon Baptist. "For countries that might want to go to the IMF for support, then they will have more pressure to take action as a result. "

BBC

 

[daytrader]

iPhone Maker Foxconn Plans $700 Million Plant Near Bengaluru: Report
The investment is one of Foxconn's biggest single outlays to date in India and underscores how China's at risk of losing its status as the world's largest producer of consumer electronics.

iPhone Maker Foxconn Plans $700 Million Plant Near Bengaluru: Report
The factory may also assemble Apple handsets. (Representational)


Apple Inc. partner Foxconn Technology Group plans to invest about $700 million on a new plant in India to ramp up local production, people familiar with the matter said, underscoring an accelerating shift of manufacturing away from China as Washington-Beijing tensions grow.
The Taiwanese company, also known for its flagship unit Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., plans to build the plant to make iPhone parts on a 300-acre site close to the airport in Bengaluru, according to the people who asked not to be named as the information is not public. The factory may also assemble Apple's handsets, some of the people said, and Foxconn may also use the site to produce some parts for its nascent electric vehicle business.

The investment is one of Foxconn's biggest single outlays to date in India and underscores how China's at risk of losing its status as the world's largest producer of consumer electronics. Apple and other US brands are leaning on their Chinese-based suppliers to explore alternative locations such as India and Vietnam. It's a rethink of the global supply chain that's accelerated during the pandemic and the war in Ukraine and could reshape the way global electronics are made.

...
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/iph...luru-report-3831131#pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Apple is looking towards India for their phones whereas Indians are looking towards China for their phones.

 

[Hitman]

Apple says 'Hello Mumbai' at first India store launch

Apple Inc (AAPL.O) on Wednesday revealed the look of its first retail store in India, as several people tried to catch a glimpse outside the store's black and yellow artwork patterned after Mumbai's iconic taxis.

The store is still in barricades and is likely to open this month, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.

India has become a big market for the Cupertino, California-based company, which launched an online retail store in the world's second-largest smartphone market in 2020.

Still, due to its high prices, Apple has only a 3% share of India's smartphone market.

Apple has previously faced hurdles in opening physical retail stores in the country, with 2021 launch plans delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Apple products, however, have been sold in India for years on e-commerce platforms such as Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) and Walmart Inc's (WMT.N) Flipkart, as well as through resellers.

India is also increasingly becoming a manufacturing base, with some Apple products, including iPhones, assembled in the country by Taiwanese contract electronics manufacturers Foxconn (2317.TW) and Wistron Corp (3231.TW). Apple also plans to assemble iPads and AirPods in India.

The first retail store is located in the premier Reliance Jio World Drive mall, home to various luxury clothing and jewellery brands like Michael Kors, Kate Spade and Swarovski.

The brightly-lit store was "inspired by the iconic Kaali Peeli taxi art unique to Mumbai," Apple said in a statement, referring to the city's decades-old yellow and black taxis.

People were taking selfies and recording videos on their smartphones outside the store on Wednesday evening, with the Apple logo decked out in a variety of colours and a version of the classic Apple greeting showing "Hello Mumbai".

Link: https://www.reuters.com/technology/apple-open-first-company-owned-retail-store-india-2023-04-05/

 

[Hitman]

I wish such a store would be in my city someday.

 

[daytrader]

Shares in Apple have fallen for a second day in a row after reports that Chinese government workers have been banned from using iPhones.
The firm's stock market valuation has fallen by more than 6%, or almost $200bn (£160bn), in the last two days.
China is the technology giant's third-largest market, accounting for 18% of its total revenue last year.
It is also where most of Apple's products are manufactured by its biggest supplier Foxconn.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Beijing had ordered central government agency officials to not bring iPhones into the office or use them for work.
The following day, Bloomberg News reported that the ban may also be imposed on workers at state-owned companies and government-backed agencies.

The reports came ahead of the launch of the iPhone 15, which is expected to take place on 12 September.
There has been no official statement from the Chinese government in response to the reports.

Apple shares slide after China government iPhone ban reports

The technology giant's stock market valuation has fallen by almost $200bn in the last two days.

www.bbc.com

 

[FearlessRoar]

As some foreign media continue to speculate that Apple may face risks in China, the "Global Times" observed long queues of consumers at one of Apple's stores in Beijing CBD on Friday for the iPhone15 pick-up. This demonstrates Apple enjoys good business environment in the China.

 

[FearlessRoar]

Apple store in Hangzhou right now is mad busy. Yes, many Chinese folks prefer Huawei, but the Chinese market is big enough for competitors too. Businesses in China are booming across a rainbow of brands.

 

[Hitman]

I hope more Apple stores are opened throughout the country in the upcoming years.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Apple to Scale Up India Production Fivefold to $40 Billion​

https://twitter.com/x/status/1705936143156470040

Bharat can play Apple diplomacy in future by delaying shipments of new iPhones to non friendly countries like Canada. Hit them where it hurts the most.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Apple alert: India opposition says government tried to hack phones

Some Indian opposition leaders have accused the government of trying to hack into their phones after receiving warning messages from Apple.

Apple's alert said it believed the recipient was "being targeted by state-sponsored attackers".

It did not specify who the attackers could be.

When contacted by the BBC, Apple said that it did not attribute the threat notifications to any specific state-sponsored organisation.

Federal ministers dismissed the allegations, with one calling it "destructive politics".

But he added that the government would "investigate to get to the bottom of these notifications".

So far, around a dozen opposition politicians have confirmed that they got the message from Apple. The list has MPs including Shashi Tharoor and KC Venugopal from the Congress party, Mahua Moitra from the Trinamool Congress and Priyanka Chaturvedi from the Shiv Sena UBT.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also said that several people who worked in his office got the alert.

"We are not scared. You can do as much [phone] tapping as you want, I don't care. If you want to take my phone, I will give it to you," Mr Gandhi said at a press conference.

Some journalists - including Siddharth Varadarajan, a founding editor of news website The Wire - said they received the message too.

Federal information technology minister Ashwini Vaishnaw posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the government has asked Apple to join its investigation "with real, accurate information on the alleged state sponsored attacks".

On its support page for users, Apple says that "state-sponsored attackers are very well-funded and sophisticated, and their attacks evolve over time", adding that they target a "very small number of specific individuals and their devices".

It also says that it can't give more details about what prompts it to issue these threat notifications as "that may help state-sponsored attackers adapt their behaviour to evade detection in the future".

Apple added: "Detecting such attacks relies on threat intelligence signals that are often imperfect and incomplete. It's possible that some Apple threat notifications may be false alarms, or that some attacks are not detected."

Technology analyst Prasanto K Roy told the BBC that companies such as Apple look for activity patterns to detect large-scale, co-ordinated malware attacks.

"Technically, it's possible to attribute it to emerging or originating from a particular country. They can also narrow it down to known state-sponsored or state agencies," he said, adding that Apple would not want to attribute it to any specific actor.

On Tuesday, Indian politicians and journalists shared screenshots on X of the message they received from Apple, with some pointing out that no member of the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had confirmed receiving the notification yet.

"Funny that only opposition got the memo of surveillance, even the algorithm was selective in its choice!" Ms Chaturvedi wrote on X.

But later in the day, BJP minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that his colleague Piyush Goyal had also received the alert.

"Apple has to answer a number of questions about these devices they claim are secure," he told NDTV news channel.

Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha, who says he also got an alert, connected it to the general election due next year.

"It must also be placed within the broader attacks on the opposition who are facing relentless repression by investigatory agencies, politically motivated criminal cases and incarceration," he said.

BJP leaders said allegations of the government's involvement were "baseless" and that it was up to Apple to clarify what it meant by the notification.

"The opposition does not have any issue to take on the government and, therefore, they are resorting to making these false allegations," said Amit Malviya, who looks after the BJP's IT department.

Ms Chaturvedi released a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to investigate "who, within the 'state', is engaged in attempting to access my phone".

Several opposition leaders in India had earlier accused Mr Modi's government of placing them under surveillance.


BBC

 

[FearlessRoar]

Apple has agreed to pay $490m to settle a class-action lawsuit led by the UK’s Norfolk county council

The class action alleged chief executive Tim Cook misled investors about a steep downturn in iPhone’s sales in China that culminated in a jarring revision to the company’s revenue forecast.

The Norfolk county council said its pension fund was affected by the company’s alleged actions.

A spokesperson for the Norfolk Pension Fund said: “We are proud of this recovery for investors. We are mindful that we are stewards of pensions relied upon by thousands of families and individuals.

“When and where it’s warranted, we will take decisive action to recover losses when our participants’ investments are harmed by fraud.”

The preliminary settlement filed on Friday in Oakland, California, federal court stems from a shareholder lawsuit focused on the way Apple relayed information about how iPhone models released in September 2018 were performing in China, one of the company’s biggest markets.

Cook signaled that the new iPhones were off to a good start during an investor conference call in early November 2018, according to the complaint.

That reassurance dissolved into a huge letdown on 2 January 2019 when the Cook issued a warning that Apple’s revenue for the just-completed quarter would fall $9bn below management’s forecast for the period. What’s more, virtually all of the sales drop was traced to weak demand in China.

It marked the first time Apple had cut its revenue guidance since the iPhone’s release in 2007 and triggered its stock price to plunge 10% in the next day of frenetic trading, wiping out more than $70bn in shareholder wealth.

Apple vehemently denied Cook deceived investors about the iPhone’s sales in China between early November and early January. The company maintained that stance in the settlement documents, but said it decided to make the payment after more than four years of legal wrangling to avoid an “overly burdensome, expensive, and distracting” hassle.

The settlement was reached through a mediator after US district judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers rejected Apple’s request to dismiss the case and set a 9 September trial date.

Gonzalez Rogers is now being asked to approve the settlement in a hearing scheduled for 30 April.

Thousands of shareholders who bought Apple stock in late 2018 could be eligible for a piece of the settlement, which will be distributed from of a pool that will be less than $490m after lawyers involved in the case are paid. The attorneys plan to seek up to one-fourth, or about $122m, of the settlement.

Norfolk council will receive a portion of the settlement.

The $490m payment represents less than 1% of the $97bn profit that Apple pocketed during its last fiscal year ended in September. Apple shareholders who have held on to their shares have become wealthier too. Apple’s stock price has more than quadrupled from where it stood after Cook’s China warning, creating an additional $2 tn in shareholder wealth.

Apple to pay $490m to settle claims it misled investors over sales in China

Company denied that Tim Cook deceived investors when he said iPhone sales were strong weeks before revenue warning

www.theguardian.com

 

[FearlessRoar]

Has China lost its taste for the iPhone?​

FOR years, Apple dominated the market for high-end smartphones in China. No other company made a device that could compete with the iPhone’s performance – or its position as a status object in the eyes of wealthy, cosmopolitan shoppers.

But evidence is mounting that, for many in China, the iPhone no longer holds the appeal it used to.

During the first six weeks of the year, historically a peak season for Chinese shoppers to spring for a new phone, iPhone sales fell 24 per cent from a year earlier, according to Counterpoint Research, which analyses the smartphone market.

Meanwhile, sales for one of Apple’s long-standing Chinese rivals, Huawei, surged 64 per cent.

It’s a challenging time for Apple. Analysts say its latest product, a US$3,500 virtual reality headset released in February, is still years away from gaining mainstream appeal.

This month, Apple has taken two regulatory hits: a European Union fine of nearly US$2 billion for anti-competitive music streaming practices and a US government lawsuit claiming Apple violated antitrust laws.

For a decade, China has been the iPhone’s most important market after the United States and accounted for roughly 20 per cent of Apple’s sales. Now, the company’s grip on China could be dislodged by a series of factors: a slowdown in consumer spending, growing pressure from Beijing for people to shun devices made by US companies and the resurgence of national champion Huawei.

“The golden time for Apple in China is over,” said Linda Sui, a senior director at TechInsights, a market research firm.

One of the biggest reasons is the rising tension between the United States and China over trade and technology, Sui said. Without a significant lessening of geopolitical stress, it will be difficult for Apple to retain its position.

“It’s not just about consumers,” Sui said. “It’s about the big picture, the two superpowers competing with each other — that’s a fundamental thing behind the whole shift.”

Few American companies have more to lose from these heightened tensions than Apple, whose newest handset, the iPhone 15, went on sale in September. It is the first iPhone line to feature a titanium frame and include an action button that can be programmed to take photos or turn on the flashlight.

“Five years ago, Apple had really strong branding in China – people would bring tents to wait through the whole night outside the Apple Store for the next product launch,” said Lucas Zhong, a Shanghai-based analyst at Canalys, a market research firm. “The iPhone 15 launch wasn’t nearly as popular.”

Six months later, Apple has plastered billboards across cities such as Shanghai, reminding residents they can still buy an iPhone 15 nearby.

Similar promotions helped the iPhone account for four of the six top-selling smartphones in China in the final three months of last year, the company said during a call with Wall Street analysts.

But the prominent advertising did not persuade Jason Li, 22, to visit the Apple Store on Nanjing East Road, in the heart of Shanghai’s shopping district, when he needed to replace his iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Instead, Li went to the Huawei flagship store directly across the street, where he contemplated the Mate 60 Pro.

“I don’t want to use iOS anymore,” he said, referring to the iPhone’s operating system. “It’s a bit stale.”

Apple declined to comment.

For some in China, buying a phone has become a political statement.

Debates over whether using an iPhone is disrespectful to Chinese tech companies or akin to handing personal data over to the US government have erupted online. Last year, employees at some Chinese government agencies reported being told not to use iPhones for work.

These directives surfaced less than two weeks after Huawei unveiled the Mate 60 Pro, a smartphone equipped with the company’s own operating system and a computer chip more advanced than had previously been made in China.

Huawei released the device in the final days of a trip to China by US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. Chinese commentators and state media heralded it as a triumph for Huawei in the face of Washington’s attempts to restrict the company from developing just such technology.

The Mate 60 Pro was an immediate sensation. Its boost to Huawei’s sales carried over into the first six weeks of this year, when the company claimed the second-largest share of the smartphone market, up to 17 per cent from 9 per cent a year earlier, according to data from Counterpoint.

“Today, holding the Mate 60 series gives people a feeling like they had many years ago if someone saw them holding an iPhone on the street,” said Ivan Lam, a senior analyst at Counterpoint Research in Hong Kong. This is especially true for people older than 35, the age group that buys the most smartphones, he said.

China’s smartphone market is divided up by a number of companies. The domestic brands Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi jostle with Apple and Huawei for the largest pieces.

Apple started selling iPhones in China in 2009. The last time it was losing ground to Huawei, in 2019, the Trump administration inadvertently extended Apple a lifeline by restricting US technology firms from dealing with Huawei.

Google, which makes the Android operating system, and several semiconductor companies cut off their support of the Chinese smartphone maker.

As Huawei struggled, Apple rebounded. In 2022, its share of phones sold in China rose to 22 per cent, from 9 per cent in 2019, according to Counterpoint. Apple reported record revenue of US$74 billion from the region during its fiscal year ending in September 2022.

But the restrictions also forced Huawei to develop its own wireless chip and operating system, resulting in the technology behind the Mate 60 Pro.

The operating system has been a draw for Chinese shoppers, and many of China’s biggest tech companies have made apps exclusively for it, further walling off users from platforms used outside China.

Huawei’s innovation has made Apple’s latest models appear stodgy by comparison. And as China’s economy has struggled to rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic, many consumers are hesitant to spend on what feels like an incremental upgrade.

The owners of about 125 million out of 215 million iPhones in China have not upgraded to newer devices in the past three years, according to Daniel Ives, an Apple analyst at Wedbush Securities.

Apple has responded to the challenges in China. Its CEO, Tim Cook, has travelled to the country and visited Apple’s suppliers.

Last week, he attended the splashy opening of an Apple Store near Shanghai’s Jing’an Temple – the company’s eighth store in Shanghai and 57th in China – to a crowd of Apple fans. The company also said it was expanding its research and development labs in Shanghai.

But for some shoppers, Apple’s efforts have been overshadowed by Washington’s approach to the company’s Chinese rival.

While waiting at the Genius Bar for help with his ailing iPhone 12 at the Apple Store on Nanjing East Road in Shanghai, Chi Miaomiao, 38, said he had recently bought Huawei’s Mate 60 Pro as his second phone.

He was drawn to Huawei after its chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, was arrested by Canadian authorities in 2018 at the request of the US, which accused her of misleading banks about Huawei’s business in Iran.

Meng’s detention set off a flood of support in China, where many saw her as a hostage.

“Huawei is our own brand, and because of this political incident, I think we Chinese should be united,” Chi said.

Upstairs on the Apple sales floor, Li Bin, 23, and two friends debated the latest iPhone models. Huawei and Apple were nearly comparable in quality, Li said, and although he thought the iPhone was slightly better, it was also more expensive.

Has China lost its taste for the iPhone?

FOR years, Apple dominated the market for high-end smartphones in China. No other company made a device that could compete with the iPhone’s performance – or its position as a status object in the eyes of wealthy, cosmopolitan shoppers. Read more at The Business Times.

www.businesstimes.com.sg

 

[FearlessRoar]

Because Huawei, their own company, is leading the global market now.

 

[JaDed]

Because Huawei, their own company, is leading the global market now.

? Which global market, they are only being used by China same as BYD

 

[cricketjoshila]

? Which global market, they are only being used by China same as BYD

How many countries is Huawei banned in?

 

[FearlessRoar]

"1 Out Of 7 iPhones In The World Manufactured In India": PM Modi To NDTV

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an exclusive interview with NDTV, said Apple has increased iPhone production in the country and one out of seven iPhones in the world is now being manufactured in India. He also noted that India is now the second-largest mobile phone manufacturer in the world.

"We were importer of mobile phones. Today we are the second largest manufacturer of mobile phones and we are exporting iPhones today. One out of seven iPhones in the world is now being manufactured in India," said the Prime Minister.

"We are also exporting a record number of the Apple product which is a stellar example of the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme's success," he added.

Around 25 per cent of all iPhones are to be made in India by 2028. The iPhone maker had a record first-quarter shipment in India, growing by 19% (year-on-year). Apple is also working on lowering its dependence on China by deepening its ecosystems by building a network of local vendors.

In the January-March quarter, Apple recorded a strong double-digit growth in India, which is likely to become the iPhone maker's third-largest market in the next 2-3 years.

Last year, Apple shipped around 10 million iPhones in India, which accounts for 7% of its market share.

"1 Out Of 7 iPhones In The World Manufactured In India": PM Modi To NDTV

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an exclusive interview with NDTV, said Apple has increased iPhone production in the country and one out of seven iPhones in the world is now being manufactured in India.

www.ndtv.com

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Apple has challenged at Europe's second-highest court a 1.84 billion euro ($2 billion) fine imposed by EU antitrust regulators for impeding Spotify (SPOT.N), opens new tab and other streaming rivals via restrictions on its App Store, according to a court filing.

Apple had already said it would appeal after the European Commission handed down the fine in March, its first ever penalty for infringing EU antitrust rules and the third biggest penalty meted out to a company for anti-competitive behaviour.

A ruling by the Luxembourg-based General Court could take several years while an appeal against its judgment to the Court of Justice of the European Union, Europe's top court, could drag out the litigation by a few more years.


Reuters

 

[DeadlyVenom]

"1 Out Of 7 iPhones In The World Manufactured In India": PM Modi To NDTV

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an exclusive interview with NDTV, said Apple has increased iPhone production in the country and one out of seven iPhones in the world is now being manufactured in India. He also noted that India is now the second-largest mobile phone manufacturer in the world.

"We were importer of mobile phones. Today we are the second largest manufacturer of mobile phones and we are exporting iPhones today. One out of seven iPhones in the world is now being manufactured in India," said the Prime Minister.

"We are also exporting a record number of the Apple product which is a stellar example of the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme's success," he added.

Around 25 per cent of all iPhones are to be made in India by 2028. The iPhone maker had a record first-quarter shipment in India, growing by 19% (year-on-year). Apple is also working on lowering its dependence on China by deepening its ecosystems by building a network of local vendors.

In the January-March quarter, Apple recorded a strong double-digit growth in India, which is likely to become the iPhone maker's third-largest market in the next 2-3 years.

Last year, Apple shipped around 10 million iPhones in India, which accounts for 7% of its market share.

"1 Out Of 7 iPhones In The World Manufactured In India": PM Modi To NDTV

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an exclusive interview with NDTV, said Apple has increased iPhone production in the country and one out of seven iPhones in the world is now being manufactured in India.

www.ndtv.com

This seems like an amazing thing to boast about rather than Hindu Muslim vengeance and random rants about Pakistan.

India should be proud of these technology achievements

 

[Kriketer]

? Which global market, they are only being used by China same as BYD

Do recall reading an article about Huawei phone sales soaring globally and are on par with iphone sales. Latest Huawei phones are extremely durable and fantastic gadget, I would personally pick it over iPhone which is just an overpriced alternative

 

[BouncerGuy]

This seems like an amazing thing to boast about rather than Hindu Muslim vengeance and random rants about Pakistan.

India should be proud of these technology achievements

Yeah, India should be. Apple is a big thing recognized by the whole world and to produce phones for them is nothing short of a big thing that can boost any country's economy. India is way ahead than its neighbors when it comes to technology and accommodating big companies like apple and tesla etc.