Josh Ong
According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Apple spokeswoman Carolyn Wu said Cook "had great meetings with Chinese officials today," adding that "China is very important to us and we look forward to even greater investment and growth here."
The nature of Cook's visit to China is unclear as Wu did not comment on the specifics of the meetings or the names of those officials who attended.
It is possible that the Apple executive may be in talks with representatives from the world's largest wireless carrier China Mobile, a state-run telecommunications company, over a next-generation iPhone. Last year, Cook was reportedly spotted at the carrier's headquarters in Beijing, though at the time he was Apple's chief operating officer. More than 15 million subscribers are currently using the iPhone on China Mobile, despite the lack of official support for the device.
Recent reports claim Apple's handset could arrive on China Mobile late this year or early next year and the carrier's officials are believed to be "aggressively negotiating" with Apple.
In a separate report, people familiar with the matter speculate that Cook may be in China to discuss the sixth-generation iPhone with China Unicom and China Telecom, the company's two carrier partners in the country.
Apple CEO Tim Cook visiting the Xidan Joy City Apple Store in Beijing, via STwing.
Following Monday's meetings Cook, who has been dubbed "Captain Cook" in Chinese, was later seen visiting the Joy City Apple Store in the Xidan area of Beijin and user STwing of Chinese micro-blogging service Sina Weibo managed to snag a picture at around 11:00 a.m., notes TechNode. First opened in 2010 with the Chinese launch of the iPhone 4, the Joy City location has since become Apple's top retail outlet in terms of consumer traffic and transaction volume.
As sales in the country have taken off, Apple has increasingly turned its attention toward China. The region became the company's second-largest market last year, behind only the U.S. According to Cook, Apple still has plenty of room for growth there.
One analysis last November pegged China as having overtaken the U.S. to become the world's largest smartphone market. Another study emerged last week declaring that the country now leads the world in iOS and Android device activations.
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21 Comments
"it is speculated that rather then speaking to any of the Telecom companies in China, Tim Cook may have just stop by to use the bathroom, since he was just walking by, and he figured no one would mind. The Joy City apple store is know to have one of the cleanest public sit toilets in the downtown Bejing area.
Or maybe not. He wouldn't say.
But we will report it anyway.
"it is speculated that rather then speaking to any of the Telecom companies in China, Tim Cook may have just stop by to use the bathroom, since he was just walking by, and he figured no one would mind. The Joy City apple store is know to have one of the cleanest public sit toilets in the downtown Bejing area.
Or maybe not. He wouldn't say.
But we will report it anyway.
My thoughts exactly.
He might be there to meet with suppliers of the retina screen for the next MacBook Pro.
Or buying time on the next Chinese rocket launch to put Apple's satellites in place for Apple's satellite phone service.
Or he could be meeting with the 12 year old kids who will be building the Apple 72" TV.
What a ridiculous article.
He is the CEO and a very busy man. He would not have gone there except for some big negotiation.
He is the CEO and a very busy man. He would not have gone there except for some big negotiation.
Nonsense.
He might have gone to meet with suppliers for existing product (in case you hadn't noticed, Apple's relationship with suppliers has been in the news lately).
He might have gone there to contact retail partners (since China is such a huge market for Apple products).
He might have gone there to meet with suppliers for future products.
He might have gone there to discuss something entirely different - something that even the rumors sites haven't gotten wind of.
Heck, he might have gone there for vacation.
Assuming that he went there to meet with Chinese carriers is absurd.
Nonsense.
He might have gone to meet with suppliers for existing product (in case you hadn't noticed, Apple's relationship with suppliers has been in the news lately).
He might have gone there to contact retail partners (since China is such a huge market for Apple products).
He might have gone there to meet with suppliers for future products.
He might have gone there to discuss something entirely different - something that even the rumors sites haven't gotten wind of.
Heck, he might have gone there for vacation.
Assuming that he went there to meet with Chinese carriers is absurd.
Those are all potential business dealings Apple could have in China, but they are not things that only the CEO could do. I am working on the assumption that he is so busy he would only be there for things only the CEO could do. Anything he could delegate he would delegate.