Apple close to striking landmark iPhone deal with China Mobile

By Christian Zibreg on May 9, 2013

Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty was visiting Hong Kong and Taiwan recently. She is now back from China with some interesting Apple news. Tim Cook & Co., she wrote in her note to clients, may be close to striking an iPhone distribution agreement with China Mobile, the world’s top wireless carrier by revenue and subscribers.

Specifically, Huberty wrote that “TD-LTE licenses, and related phone launches, are expected by year-end,” in her note to clients. China Mobile debuted small-scale TD-LTE network in 2010 and last year expanded coverage to select large cities. In case you were wondering, TD-LTE is a variant of the fourth-generation Long Term Evolution radio technology, also known as LTE… Read More

 

Apple missing some 2.8 billion potential iPhone customers due to carrier demands

By Ed Sutherland on May 6, 2013

Much talk surrounding Apple has centered on a cooling consumer demand for its flagship product, the iPhone smartphone. However, it may be time to shift the narrative to feet-dragging by a number of global operators that could hold the key to as many as 2.8 billion iPhone customers, according to a Monday report.

Instead of a slowdown in demand, a Monday report by Bloomberg suggests the larger problem is vastly limited access to customers. Two numbers go far to tell the story: 240 and 800. While Apple has 240 carrier agreements throughout the world, rival Samsung has inked deals with virtually every of the 800 wireless providers. Indeed, Apple is lacking agreements to boost sales of the iPhone in some of the most-populated regions, including China, Japan, India and Russia… Read More

 

Post-PC news: China zooms past US in PC sales, netbooks on life support

By Ed Sutherland on Apr 30, 2013

For US PC buyers accustom to receiving items from China, here’s a switch: new research indicates more computers are being shipped into China than America. After China became the largest PC market in terms of buyers, the country is now also the world’s top market when it comes to shipping.

According to IHS iSuppli, in 2012 69 million PCs were shipped into China, compared to 66 million units headed for the United States. Despite its size, China still has some catching-up to do with the rest of the world. For instance, while most countries have moved on from desktop computers, a full half of PCs shipped to China are desktops.

That’s just one of many intriguing differences in the world’s largest PC market… Read More

 

Apple loses three copyright infringement cases in China

By Christian Zibreg on Apr 25, 2013

Apple has lost three copyright infringement cases in China as No.2 Intermediate People’s Court ruled Tuesday that the iPhone maker’s App Store infringed on the copyrights owned by Beijing-based Motie Press and Chinese writers Mai Jia and Yu Zhuo.

As part of the ruling, Apple was ordered to pay damages of CNY 520,000, or approximately $141,563 to Motie Press, in addition to CNY 200,000 (about $54,447) to Mai Jia and CNY 10,000 (about $2,722) to Yu Zhuo… Read More

 

Apple donates $8 million to earthquake victims in China

By Cody Lee on Apr 22, 2013

This weekend, folks in Sichuan, China were rocked by a devastating earthquake that leveled much of the area. The quake, which the country’s earthquake administration rated a 7.0 (US Geo Survey says 6.6), destroyed countless houses and buildings.

Apple has since began facilitating donations for relief efforts in the area, and has pledged to provide new equipment for schools in the affected cities. And we’ve just received word that it’s upped its commitment by offering up $8 million to the victims… Read More

 

Apple opens donations to help China’s earthquake victims

By Christian Zibreg on Apr 22, 2013

Apple and the Chinese government may have been at odds lately over AppleCare warranty, but the iPhone maker has since gone to great lengths in order to appease to local authorities and ensure that it is treating the Chinese customer with respect.

Apple’s latest move involves pledging cash donations to the victims of the earthquake-stricken areas of China and committing to donating products to several schools in the affected areas. Furthermore, Apple is prominently advertising the donations effort on its Chinese homepage… Read More

 

China app store features pirated iOS apps

By Ed Sutherland on Apr 18, 2013

It wasn’t long ago that Apple was being labeled a pirate in China. Now comes word of a pirate version of Apple’s App Store, selling iOS apps that let iPhone or iPad owners skirt iTunes and install apps, no jailbreak required. However, there’s one major catch: the website is available only within China, likely to dissuade Apple lawyers coming down like a ton of bricks.

Ironically, the service is called KuaiYong, which means “use quickly” in Chinese. We’re unsure whether this refers to ease of use or “hurry before we are shut down.” … Read More

 

Apple mentioned in China porn app probe

By Ed Sutherland on Apr 17, 2013

Apple is once again the subject of unwanted attention by China’s state media. This time, rather than singing the praises of the iPhone maker, China’s official newspaper includes the California company in a list of app stores that are part of a pornography investigation.

Although Apple’s name is not emphasized, the well-known brand is among a number of much lesser-known web sites and app stores mentioned in the second paragraph of the Wednesday issue of the People’s Daily. The mention could signal the China government’s intention to make Apple an example, as was done to Google in 2009, reports suggest… Read More

 

Apple bashing earns New York Times a Pulitzer

By Ed Sutherland on Apr 16, 2013

Remember how Apple’s use of Chinese factories to produce its iPad was the focus of attention during 2012? Well, so did members of the Pulitzer committee, which Monday awarded a 2013 Pulitzer Prize to the New York Times.

The paper won critical awards for its iEconomy series, a nine-part look at the working conditions in Chinese factories producing the popular tablet. But was the series a “penetrating look into business practices by Apple,” as the Pulitzer announcement claims, or simply a way to rehash a common practice by using the Apple brand as the foil? Read More

 

Chinese iPhone dealers scam Apple with fake parts

By Ed Sutherland on Apr 15, 2013

Five iPhone distributors in China are under arrest after Apple told local police it was the victim of an unusual scam. The plot involved sending fake iPhone 4S parts to Apple for replacement and receiving real components worth more than $64,000, according to Monday reports.

The alleged fraudsters went so far as to accompany the fake components with the serial numbers of more than a hundred real iPhone handsets, police said. Read More

 

Apple asks devs to localize apps, launches Chinese Support forum

By Ed Sutherland on Apr 12, 2013

Apple appears to want its apps to lose the ‘outsider’ label. In an email communication to its registered developers sent earlier this week, the App Store owner encouraged programmers to localize their applications because it’s “never been more important.” Also, in the latest round of moves aimed at Chinese consumers, the iPhone maker updated its online support forums to handle the native language… Read More

 

Tim Cook’s right-hand man reportedly in China dealing with PR crisis

By Cody Lee on Apr 10, 2013

Apple’s Executive Profile page lists Jeff Williams as the Senior Vice President of Operations. But according to people inside the company, he’s much more important than that. Some folks even refer to him as “Cook’s right-hand man.”

So it should come as no surprise that, according to a new report, Williams is in Beijing this week dealing with Apple’s major PR fallout in China, after taking severe criticism in recent weeks over its warranty practices in the country… Read More

 

Apple yanks China app carrying books critical of the government

By Ed Sutherland on Apr 4, 2013

Apple has again moved to prevent anger from China. The Cupertino firm has pulled one bookstore app from the China iTunes store which hosted several titles by authors critical of the government.

Among the ten titles affected by the bookstore app’s removal were three by a banned Chinese author and political activist. The books focus on the long-running dispute over China’s occupation of Tibet, as well as the author’s detention by the country’s state security.

The action follows an apology by Apple CEO Tim Cook, after criticism over the iPhone maker’s warranty policy for smartphones sold in the country… Read More

 

Apple off the hook as Chinese media approves of Tim Cook’s apology

By Christian Zibreg on Apr 2, 2013

Pressured by the relentless crusade of state-owned media in China which have been dissing Apple in headlines for days over its warranty practices, Tim Cook yesterday issued an open letter.

Published on Apple’s Chinese web site, the letter is basically a public apology addressed to the company’s customers and fans in the 1.33 billion people country, now Apple’s second-largest market. It’s done its job (for now) as the iPhone maker appears to have earned back the media’s respect in China.

The same major print and broadcast media that have been bad mouthing Apple throughout last week over its supposedly “unparalleled arrogance” is now singing praise to the company, with the country’s Foreign Ministry officially approving Apple’s apology… Read More

 

Tim Cook issues open letter apologizing for warranty issues in China

By Cody Lee on Apr 1, 2013

If you’ve been reading the news lately, you’ve probably heard that Apple’s been having some major difficulties in China. Over the last few weeks, it’s been getting bashed by the state-run CCTV network and Chinese celebrities over its warranty policies.

The main issue is that some folks believe Apple provides customers in China with worse after-purchase service than it does in other countries, with reports claiming it replaces their goods with recycled components instead of new ones like in the US.

Apple has been fairly quiet on the criticism, until today… Read More

 

China’s oldest animation studio sues Apple over improper downloads

By Christian Zibreg on Mar 29, 2013

Apple’s legal woes in the 1.33 billion people market of China have worsened as Shanghai Animation Film Studio filed a lawsuit over the allegedly improper iTunes downloads. The studio asserts that Apple’s been illegally selling its content and is seeking north of half a million dollars in damages. Shanghai Animation is China’s first and oldest animation studios and their complaint alleges in no ambiguous terms that Apple blatantly stole their content without paying any royalty at all.

Note that Apple doesn’t offer movies on the Chinese iTunes Store so the issue is thought to involve App Store apps which bundle the studio’s movies. Apparently, Apple made available as much as 110 unlicensed Shanghai Animation titles for download via the App Store back in July 2012. The suit was reportedly filed with the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People’s Court, which has allegedly accepted the case.

So what’s going on here? Did Apple intentionally steal and pirate someone else’s content through its content store? Read More

 

Apple reportedly cutting iPad mini shipments next quarter, new model coming?

By Cody Lee on Mar 28, 2013

There’s a new report out of China this morning, claiming that Apple is cutting shipments of its iPad mini next month. The cut is said to be a 20% reduction, with steeper cuts likely happening in the latter part of the second quarter.

While the folks on Wall Street will probably try to spin this into an ‘Apple is doomed’ story, despite the fact that there’s evidence that the mini is selling very well, the consensus seems to be that it’s preparing to launch a new model… Read More

 

Apple defends Siri in Shanghai courtroom

By Ed Sutherland on Mar 27, 2013

China may soon become a top source of legal headaches, as well as market opportunities. Wednesday, the iPhone maker begins a defense of its Siri software against a Chinese company’s claim the voice-activated personal assistant violates its 2004 patent. Zhizhen Network Technology Co. filed its lawsuit against Apple last summer and today the two firms meet for a pre-trial hearing in a Shanghai court.

According to Zhizhen, its “Xiao i Robot” software was patented before Apple developed Siri in 2007 and unveiled as part of the iPhone 4S in 2011. The Shanghai-based firm is asking the court to halt Apple making and selling products using Siri, a voice-activated personal assistant feature available on newer iPhones and iPads… Read More

 

China Mobile announces major LTE push ahead of rumored iPhone launch

By Cody Lee on Mar 14, 2013

China Mobile announced today that it’s going to be spending a staggering $7 billion on its LTE network this year, setting the stage for what could be a late iPhone 5 launch. The carrier’s current network standard doesn’t properly support the popular popular handset.

In fact, China Mobile—the largest wireless provider in the world by subscriber base—is one of the few remaining major carriers in the world that doesn’t offer Apple’s smartphone. But recent chatter indicates that there’s a good chance that could change this year… Read More

 

This is China’s iPhone 5S

By Christian Zibreg on Mar 11, 2013

With the iPhone 5S reportedly a few months away, ardent copycat vendors in Shenzen, China took it upon themselves to come up with an iPhone 5S of their own. Meet the GooPhone i5S, a total rip-off based on Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2 which sells for just $149 contract-free.

Now, imagine if Apple actually made a sub-$200 budget iPhone – or offered a $149 off-contract iPhone 5 for that matter (its cheapest contract-free handset is the $450 iPhone 4). GooPhone’s cheap iPhone lookalike – and I’m using the term loosely here – goes on sale tomorrow and the first 1,000 buyers will pay only $99 for it… Read More

 
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