China

Apple’s return to US could be led by Foxconn

Ed Sutherland ∙ December 7, 2012

Remember when foreign auto makers such as Honda opened manufacturing plants in the United States? The same likely will be true for Apple in 2013 when the Cupertino, California-based iPhone maker relies on its Chinese manufacturing partner to hire U.S. workers to build gadgets - then increasingly exported to other nations. I'll pause while you try to follow that convoluted logic.

When Apple CEO Tim Cook recently told interviewers his company intends to spend $100 million in 2013 to produce a line of Macs in the U.S., unsaid was the fact he'll likely have to rely on its Taiwan-based go-to manufacturer, Foxconn, one analyst notes Friday morning...

iPad mini enters China to mostly yawns

Ed Sutherland ∙ December 7, 2012

Apple's iPad mini lived up to its name today in China, drawing a smaller crowd than last year's riotous introduction of the iPhone 4S. Indeed, one observer described the Friday reception by mainland China tech fans as "nearly nonexistent". Those consumers who did go to Apple locations, such as the the company's Beijing store, came away not with the 7.9-inch mini, but with the larger iPad 4, instead. As opposed to January's mobs that rioted, forcing Apple to temporarily halt sales of the 4S, no mobs appeared for the mini...

China Mobile president says iPhone deal is still in the works

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

The iPhone 5 is slated to land in China on December 14. China Unicom and China Telecom have already started taking pre-orders, but unfortunately, China Mobile — the largest carrier in the world — will once again be sitting on the sidelines.

The two companies are still discussing a deal though. China Mobile president Yue Li confirmed yesterday that the carrier has been in talks with Apple for the past three years to bring the popular iPhone handset to its 700 million subscribers...

China Unicom sees 100,000 iPhone 5 pre-orders in first day

Cody Lee ∙ December 4, 2012

China Unicom, the second largest carrier in the country, and 22nd largest in the world by subscriber base, opened up iPhone 5 pre-sale reservations on Monday ahead of its December 14 launch. And during the first 24 hours, the provider received over 100,000 pre-orders for the handset...

Apple actually tests LTE networks before giving 4G on its devices a go-ahead

Ed Sutherland ∙ November 30, 2012

When it comes to the question of an LTE network being compatible with the iPhone, Apple isn't ready to take a carrier's word. Although they've put up with clean desktops and higher-than-traditional licensing fees, wireless providers are now publicly irked that the Silicon Valley smartphone maker reportedly runs it's own tests before iPhones can operate on a 4G network.

A Swiss carrier has told a news site that Apple will issue a software update allowing iPhones to operate on an LTE network only after testing the carrier's live system. Recently, Swisscom announced the opening of its 4G network for customers - except for iPhone owners...

iPhone 5 and Wi-Fi iPad mini, iPad 4 are headed for China in December

Ed Sutherland ∙ November 30, 2012

It's official: the iPad mini, iPad 4 and iPhone 5 are set to land on China's store shelves in December. The company announced today the 7.9-inch iPad mini and 9.7-inch iPad 4 with Retina display will arrive Friday, December 7, while the iPhone 5 drops a bit later - December 14. Only Wi-Fi iPad models are being released now as the cellular option has just cleared China regulatory hoops.

As of the Friday announcement, new iPads are available in 42 countries. The iPhone 5, which had some earlier supply glitches, has now rolled out in 47 countries...

iPhone 5 gains network certification in China

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 29, 2012

Apple's handset has finally been granted a key network certification in China, opening door to a launch ahead of the important holiday shopping frenzy and Chinese New Year, the country's most important holiday. China’s Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center, as discovered by The Wall Street Journal, wrote in its license that the iPhone 5 is compatible with China Telecom's network, the country's third-largest mobile carrier. Vendors in China often start selling new handsets within weeks of approval, the paper writes, meaning the official iPhone 5 launch in the massive 1.33 billion people market is likely imminent...

China could soon top US as the largest iOS and Android market

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated March 12, 2018

If the global picture of mobile devices were a soap opera, it would be called "As the World Turns". A constant stream of numbers show how demand and usage is shifting away from the U.S. and to China. The latest figures show the Asian country will soon top the United States with the most active iOS and Android smartphone users.

While China's 167 million iOS and Android users currently puts the nation slightly behind the US at 181 million, that ranking will change in early 2013 as China's triple-digit growth rate easily outpaces America's maturing smartphone market, according to a new report released Wednesday by a mobile analytics firm...

China’s love affair with the iPad still strong

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated May 16, 2018

China is going nuts over the iPad as Apple's tablet commands more than 71 percent of sales in China. That's welcome news for Apple which has watched Samsung and other competitors erode its once secure market share. Apple's lead in tablet sales among Chinese consumers has remained steady over the past six months.

The latest third-quarter market figures show Apple's position slid just one percent from the previous period. It's unclear, however, how long China's love affair with the iPad will last. Two home-grown tablet firms are #2 and #3, with Samsung a distant fourth...

China Telecom starts taking iPhone 5 pre-orders

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 26, 2012

Echoing earlier reports, folks in China can now officially get an iPhone 5 as China Telecom, the smallest of the country's three telecom carriers, started taking pre-orders for the device yesterday. According to a local report, a member of the customer service staff at the carrier's Beijing branch confirmed iPhone 5 pre-orders in mainland China.

The country's largest home appliance retailer, Suning, started taking pre-orders for the device earlier in the month. No word on availability of CDMA iPhone 5 models on Apple's long-time iPhone distributor, China Unicom...

Gartner predicts Lenovo will become China’s #1 smartphone brand in 2013

Ed Sutherland ∙ November 20, 2012

China is fast becoming a key market for Apple and other smartphone makers looking to cash-in on the nation's enormous population. However, the top player in 2013 could come from closer to home. Lenovo is expected to become China's leading smartphone brand next year, up from its current #2 slot, one research firm announced Tuesday.

According to Gartner, Lenovo's share of the smartphone market rose to 14.8 percent in the third quarter of this year, a dramatic increase from a year ago, when the company held just 1.7 percent of the market. That puts its Android-powered LePhone within striking distance of Samsung, which is the leading smartphone maker in China with 16.7 percent of the market.

What advantages does Lenovo have? Name-recognition and reasonable pricing, the latter being of the utmost importance in China...

Apple drops to sixth in Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics

Ed Sutherland ∙ November 19, 2012

Apple's environmental credentials lost some of their luster in the eyes of watchdog group Greenpeace. The company ranked #6 among consumer electronics firms, a slip in stature largely blamed on lack of transparency. While ranking high in product's energy efficiency, the gadget maker from California lost points for not providing information on its greenhouse gas emissions that could be externally verified. Apple also received poor marks for not setting a target for lower emissions, the group announced Monday...