Apple will soon release special iOS updates to its Chinese customers that were specifically created to circumvent a pair of patents, owned by Qualcomm, which are essential to an iPhone injunction that the chip maker has won recently in the 1.33 billion people country.
China
Independent Super Micro audit finds absolutely no evidence of Chinese spy chips
A third-party audit has found absolutely no evidence of Chinese spy chips being secretly embedded on server motherboards manufactured by Super Micro, poking another hole in Bloomberg's bombastic, highly questionable Big Hack story which it refuses to retract.
Apple will launch HomePod in China and Hong Kong in early 2019
It's official, HomePod is launching in mainland China and Hong Kong in early 2019.
New HomePod 12.1.1 update brings group FaceTime indicator & support for new regions
Apple today released the new iOS 12.1.1 software update for iPhone and iPad and it came with a pair of enhancements for the company's Siri-driven HomePod wireless speaker.
China’s own $9 billion navigation system to provide global coverage by 2020
China continues launching satellites that make up its own celestial navigation system worth at least $9 billion. Called Beidou, it's an alternative to American-ran Global Positioning System (originally Navstar GPS) which is also known as the GPS and controlled by the U.S. Air Force.
Apple investigating whether Quanta was illegally employing students to build Apple Watches
Apple has launched an internal investigation into damning reports alleging that its supplier Quanta Computer illegally employed high school students to assemble Apple Watch units in China's Chongqing, reportedly pushing employees to work overtime and night shifts.
Apple apologizes over Apple ID account hacks in China
Apple today unexpectedly issued an apology to its customers in the 1.33 billion people market of China who became victims of the scams where nefarious users hacked into some Apple ID accounts that weren't protected with Apple's secure two-factor authentication system.
DHS says it has ‘no reason to doubt statements’ from Apple and Amazon about Big Hack
Another stakeholder has come forward to discount Bloomberg Businessweek's Chinese hacking story. In a rare Saturday press release, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says it has no reason to doubt the statements made by companies like Apple and Amazon about the story. Where this goes from here is anyone's guess.
Apple responds to Businessweek’s Chinese hacking story
Earlier today, Oct. 4, Bloomberg Businessweek published a lengthy story about apparent hacking that took place against some of the biggest companies in the United States at the hands of China, including Apple and Amazon. The iPhone maker has now gone on record to discount much of what the story said.
US spares some Apple products from latest round of Chinese tariffs [updated]
The Trump Administration has decided to exclude a category of high-tech products from its latest round of tariffs on Chinese made products. The move comes just days after Apple contacted the U.S. government expressing its concerns about the possible levies, according to Bloomberg.
Ahead of tomorrow’s keynote, Chinese carriers are hyping dual-SIM support for 2018 iPhones
Wireless carriers China Telecom and China Unicom have begun promoting a rumored dual-SIM feature for new iPhones ahead of tomorrow's “Gather round” iPhone Xs event keynote.
Proposed China tariffs could raise prices for Apple Watch, AirPods, HomePod and more
The Trump Administration's plan to add $200 billion worth of tariffs on products made in China could force Apple to raise prices on some of its most popular products, including the Apple Watch, Apple Pencil, and AirPods. Apple's growing concern about the tariffs is mentioned in a Sept. 5 letter sent to the Office of U.S. Trade Representative, according to Bloomberg.
In the letter, Apple explains:
Our concern with these tariffs is that the U.S. will be hardest hit, and that will result in lower U.S. growth and competitiveness and higher prices for U.S. consumers.
Since the beginning of the year, the U.S government has already imposed $50 billion worth of tariffs on goods made in China with an additional $200 billion now being finalized. Besides the Apple products mentioned above, this second package would target the Mac mini, various chargers and adapters, and tooling equipment that the company uses to make and design some products in the U.S.
More trouble could be brewing, however.
The Trump Administration is now considering another $267 billion in tariffs on China, which could affect all categories of consumer goods, including iPhone and iPad.
The tariffs are part of a growing trade war currently showing no signs of slowing down between the countries that represent Apple's two largest consumer markets, the U.S. and China. Back in the spring, Apple CEO Tim Cook met with President Trump about his approach to China. At the time, Cook called the trade policies in China "problematic."
Hopefully, things will improve on this front soon. Otherwise, the cost of Apple products could be going up very soon.