| Submit your comments on this article |
| Economy |
| Trade war may be start of a long slow death for Apple in China |
| 2018-08-09 |
| [AsiaTImes]The iPhone’s smashing success in China has shown remarkable resilience, despite increasingly strong competition from domestic competitors. But while Apple’s flagship device recovered from a dismal showing in 2016 to regain market share in China last year, the bump in sales may have been the last hurrah, and the escalating trade war may mark a decisive turning point. Whether or not Apple ends up being a direct target of retaliatory moves by Beijing, homegrown smartphone alternatives already provide comparable quality at a discount. The iPhone’s appeal is that it represents a status symbol, but it may only take a nudge to push the Chinese consumers who haven’t done so already to embrace a national symbol. There have been signs of that nudge in recent days, with Chinese state media apparently tip-toeing towards a public campaign of criticism aimed at Apple. |
| Posted by:3dc |