China

Tim Cook stops by Foxconn iPhone factory during China trip

Cody Lee ∙ October 23, 2014

Tim Cook paid a visit to Foxconn's iPhone manufacturing plant in Zhengzhou today, one of what could be many stops during his China trip. The Apple CEO tweeted out "Great to meet talented like Zhang Fan, who helps make iPhone 6 in Zhengzhou," along with a photo.

Cook's face is a familiar one at many Asian supplier factories, thanks to his long tenure as Apple's operations chief and the company's recent commitment to comply with Fair Labor Associations guidelines. In fact, he visited the Zhengzhou plant as recently as spring 2012.

Strong demand in China reportedly forces Apple to boost iPhone 6 Plus production

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 27, 2016

In case you didn't get a memo, Chinese buyers are especially fond of oversized phones. In fact, for many Asians a jumbo-sized phone isn't just a tablet replacement but their only mobile device.

Counting on the phablet popularity in China, Apple's now found itself in a situation where it needs to increase output of iPhone 6 Plus due to higher than expected demand for the 5.5-inch Apple smartphone in the 1.33 billion people country, Apple's second-largest market by revenue, DigiTimes reported Tuesday.

Chinese government apparently collecting iCloud credentials through phishing attacks

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 20, 2014

The Chinese government is reportedly phishing iCloud credentials of millions of people by staging a so-called man-in-the-middle attack which redirects unsuspecting users to a spoofed webpage that appears shockingly similar to the real iCloud.com website, Great Fire reported Monday.

Fooled users who type in their username and password into the fake web form risk exposing their iMessage communications, photos, contacts, reminders, calendars and other personal information associated with their Apple ID to a third-party. The problem is further accentuated by the fact that the popular Chinese browser Qihoo does not warn users that they're visiting a fake website.

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus pre-orders reportedly top 20 million in China

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 13, 2014

During a three-day period since the start of pre-orders for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus on October 10, Chinese carriers and e-commerce site Jingdong Mall (JD.com) have collected a combined total of an estimated 20 million units, according to a Tencent report [Google Translate] Monday relayed by Digitimes.

The country's three leading wireless operators — China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom — have collected about ten million pre-orders while Jingdong Mall processed about 9.5 million pre-orders, of which 4.66 million are for the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 model and 4.82 million are for the bigger 5.5-inch handset.

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus reservations in China reportedly top 4 million

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Reservations for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in China have already topped 4 million, reports Tencent. The Chinese media outlet says that demand for the two new handsets is strong in the country, with reservations hitting 2 million in just 6 hours, and 4 million in within the first day.

Note, this number does not include official iPhone 6 pre-orders, which haven't started yet. Apple announced on September 29 that it had picked up the necessary approval to sell its two new smartphones in China, and told customers that pre-orders would begin Tuesday, October 14.

Chinese carriers booked more than 2 million iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus reservations in just 6 hours

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 2, 2014

Though Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus won't officially launch in the Chinese market until later this month, the nation's three mobile carriers have already managed to book more than two million reservations just six hours after opening their queues, according to ITHome and Sina reports [Google Translate] cited by AppleInsider.

What's even more interesting, the vast majority of initial reservations have been 64GB iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models in gold.

Given both models cost nearly $1,000, early demand proves again that colorful jumbo-sized handsets are all the rage in the 1.33 billion people market.

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus launching in China on Friday, October 17

Cody Lee ∙ September 29, 2014

Apple has announced this morning that the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus will be available in China beginning Friday, October 17. The devices will be launching in the company's online store, as well as its retail stores and various other chains and Authorized Resellers in the country.

Both handsets will support TD-LTE and FDD-LTE, and be offered by China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom across mainland China. Apple says that customers can pre-order the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus from its online store in two weeks, beginning on Tuesday, October 14.

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus said to launch in China on October 10

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 28, 2014

Hot on the heels of reports that Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were nearing approval for sale in China, a new report yesterday asserted that the new handsets are now scheduled to hit store shelves in the 1.33 billion people market on Friday, October 10.

According to an internal memo obtained by TechWeb [Google Translate], Apple's retail staff will receive their training material on October 7, giving them three days to familiarize themselves with talking points and features of Apple's flagship phones.

iPhone 6 reportedly nearing approval for sale in China

Cody Lee ∙ September 26, 2014

Apple is in the final stages of securing regulatory approval for the iPhone 6 in China, reports Tenacent, meaning it could soon go on sale in the country. It's a major market for the Cupertino firm, as it contains two of the largest carriers in the world.

The news outlet quoted China's Ministry of Industry and Information technology as saying "it's just a matter of time" before regulators complete the approval process for Apple's new handsets, which have already gone on sale in several countries.

iPhone 6 and 6 Plus may not launch in China until 2015

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Apple could have to wait until next year to launch the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in China, according to 21st Century Business Herald. The Chinese news site is reporting today that the handsets have failed to receive the necessary approval from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

If true, this would be a huge blow to Apple, who some believe was hoping to ship as many as 80 million iPhone 6 and 6 Plus units by the end of the year. China of course has two of the largest carriers in the world, China Mobile and China Unicom, and is an important market for the company.

Foxconn worker arrested for leaking iPhone 6 parts

Sébastien Page ∙ September 16, 2014

The Chinese police arrested a Foxconn factory worker suspected of having stolen and sold shells of the iPhone 6 on September 4, reports the WSJ today. Motivated by money, the man had stolen no less than 6 shells that he sold to a local electronics market in Shenzhen.

Apple facing delays launching iPhone 6 models in China, still hasn’t gained approval

Jake Smith ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Apple informed the top-three carriers in China on Wednesday it would not be offering the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus on September 19, leaving them caught off-guard, the New York Times reported. China is seen as the company's fastest growing market, so it's definitely an odd move, as China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom and customers in the area are eagerly awaiting the launch alongside the US and other countries worldwide.