China

China’s media administrative wing sues Apple over 1990s war film

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 16, 2018

A subsidiary of China's broadcasting regulator is taking Apple to court over showing a propaganda film which was released back in the 1990s, reports The Associated Press. The plaintiff—Movie Satellite Channel Program Production Center, which comes under the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television—alleges that the iPhone maker has infringed its exclusive online rights to broadcast its movie which depicts Chinese fighting against Japanese soldiers in northern China in the early 1930s.

New Chinese regulations would have Apple track App Store users and developers

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated August 7, 2017

After ordering an iPhone 6 sales ban over alleged copyright infringement and shuttering the iBooks Store and iTunes Movies, Chinese regulators are now applying increased pressure on foreign technology companies doing business in the world's most populous market of 1.35 billion people.

According to Bloomberg, firms like Apple that operate app stores in the country will be forced to track the identities of users and developers with real-name registration in case they violate the country's stringent censorship laws.

Grand opening of fifth Apple Store in Hong Kong scheduled for June 30

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 23, 2016

Hong Kong, a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China, will get its fifth Apple retail store a week from today on Thursday, June 30, Apple announced today. Located inside the New Town Plaza shopping mall at 18 Sha Tin Centre Street, the store will be open seven days a week between 10:00am to 10pm local time.

Beijing court orders iPhone 6 sales ban over patent infringement, Apple to appeal ruling

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 16, 2018

Apple just hit yet another roadblock in China with news that the Beijing Intellectual Property Office (BJIPO) has ordered the company to halt sales of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus on the grounds that the Apple handset copied the design of the 100C smartphone, which is being produced by Shenzhen Baili, one of China's phone vendors.

Apple has confirmed that it will challenge the sales ban by appealing to the Beijing Higher People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Court.

Billionaire investor Carl Icahn is concerned about Apple’s prospects in China

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 9, 2016

Activist investor Carl Icahn earlier this year sold his position in Apple, but that doesn't mean he no longer thinks Apple is a lucrative stock to invest in. Quite the contrary, he's made several billion dollars on Apple!

That being said, he would invest back in the Cupertino firm were it not for Apple's prospects in China, which he doesn't feel secure about although he's adamant that CEO Tim Cook is “doing a good job”.

New Apple Stores opening in China’s Tianjin and Shanghai this month

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 6, 2016

According to a pair of notices on Apple's Retail webpage, a new retail store is scheduled for grand opening in China's Tianjin this coming Saturday, and another one the following Saturday in Shanghai.

The new Tianjin store is scheduled to open doors to shoppers on Saturday, June 11, while the new Shanghai location is opening on Saturday, June 18.

Analyst: iPhone 8 will rock Galaxy Edge-like wraparound AMOLED screen

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 1, 2016

IHS Technologies analyst Kevin Wang writes on Chinese social network Weibo that the iPhone 8, which we believe will release in the fall of 2017, will come outfitted with a dual-curved display similar to that found on Samsung's flagship Galaxy S7 edge, for a virtually bezel-less appearance. He also said just yesterday the next iPhone would replace the entry-level 16GB tier with a more capacious 32GB SKU.

This multi-functional power bank charges your Apple Watch, iPhone and iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated August 9, 2016

The Computex 2016 exhibition show is underway in Taipei May 31-June 1 and hundreds of technology companies are showcasing their upcoming products and accessories.

One of them is a Chinese company, called Tama Electric, which showed off an interesting 6,000 mAh multi-functional portable power bank.

Designed to charge an iPhone or iPad via its built-in Lightning port, the accessory comes with a twist in the form of an embedded Apple Watch charging disc and an MFi-rated, 1.2-meter Lightning cable, allowing you to charge your wearable device on the go.

Chinese government hopes Apple can provide “secure user experience”

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 19, 2016

Earlier in the week, Apple's boss Tim Cook embarked on a charm offensive in China in an attempt to appease the government and its agencies, which have already forced the iPhone maker to shut down the iBooks and iTunes Movie stores in the massive 1.35 billion people market.

As noted by Reuters, in meeting with Cook in Beijing, head of China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) underscored the importance of strong security of Apple's products for the Chinese consumer.

Apple just loves China these days

Sébastien Page ∙ May 17, 2016

Apple is having a hard time in China these days. The economy of Apple’s largest market after the US is slowing down, which led the company to sell not as many iPhones it would have hoped in the last quarter. Just as worrisome, Apple is also facing some pushback from the government, which recently shut down the iBooks and iTunes Movie Stores in the country. What’s Apple to do about it?

Tim Cook talks Didi acquisition during China trip

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 16, 2016

Apple CEO Tim Cook visited an Apple Store in Beijing this morning with Liu Qing, president of Didi Chuxing, the company the iPhone maker invested an astounding $1 billion in.

Also called the Chinese Uber, Didi is a ride sharing service and Apple's investment comes at a time when the Cupertino firm is widely rumored to be secretly working on an electric car project. Cook said Apple and Didi both shared concerns for the environment.

He also revealed, according to China Daily, that app developers in China have now earned over $7 billion, half of which came in the past twelve months alone.

Apple invests $1 billion in Chinese ride sharing service Didi Chuxing

Cody Lee ∙ May 12, 2016

Apple on Thursday announced that it has invested $1 billion in Chinese Uber competitor Didi Chuxing, reports Reuters. Speaking with the outlet, Tim Cook said the venture will help his company "better understand the critical Chinese market."

The move comes amidst slumping iPhone sales, which has driven Apple's stock price down to $90 per share, and other struggles in China. Last month, the State Administration shut down the iBooks Store and iTunes Movie sales in the country.