Apple invites 25 billionth app download winner to collect prize in Beijing

Apple flew contest winner Chunli Fu to the company's headquarters in Beijing to collect her $10,000 Apple Store gift card for downloading the 25 billionth app from the iTunes App Store.

After being announced the winner earlier in March, Fu last week received the promised $10,000 gift card in person at Apple's Beijing corporate headquarters that is some 400 miles away from her home city of Qingdao, China, reports M.I.C. Gadget..

Previous to winning with a download of the free version of Disney's "Where's My Water?" app, Fu was not a dedicated Apple fan and only owned her iPhone for about one month.

Now referred to as the "Apple girl" by the Chinese media, Fu wasn't aware of the contest and though that Apple's initial congratulatory calls were pranks. Only after receiving an email from Apple Inc. did Fu believe what her friends had been telling her.

Fu took her $10,000 in credit to the Apple Store in Sanlitun where she browsed various products and was photographed inspecting a MacBook Pro. It is unclear what, if anything, Fu purchased.

Chunli Fu browses products at the Sanlitun Apple Store in China with the $10,000 gift card (left). | Source: M.I.C. Gadget

China has become Apple's most important market outside of the U.S. as a burgeoning middle class take an increasing interest in the company's products.

It was reported on Monday that Apple CEO Tim Cook was in China engaging in talks with officials over undisclosed topics, though insiders say that he is there primarily to discuss a next-generation iPhone.

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34 Comments

macky the macky

said about 12 years ago

Now that's one pretty girl! After shopping, I understand she bought a Proview iPad.

macky the macky

said about 12 years ago

FYI: Tim Cook was in China to award a $10,000 Apple gift card to the judge in the Proview dustup.

sflocal

said about 12 years ago

Based on the iPad in the lower-left corner, I guess Proview didn't demand the iPad Police confiscate those from actual Apple stores just yet.

Other than that, she's one classy gal!!

mstone

said about 12 years ago

Quote:

Originally Posted by sflocal

Based on the iPad in the lower-left corner, I guess Proview didn't demand the iPad Police confiscate those from actual Apple stores just yet.

Those are the in-store kiosks. Using the demo app you can browse a digital catalogue and also summon a sales rep to your station for help with purchasing. I recently used the system at the Apple Store. It said I was 2nd in the queue for assistance. Then a sales person came up and greeted me within a couple minutes.

myapplelove

said about 12 years ago

I read something about class from another poster here...

What middle class in China, are you bs-ing us? In China it's the upper class and the dirt poor. The slave girls at Foxconn who ve never even played around with an iPad after putting in 12 hours a day labour are waaaaaay classier than whoever apples chooses to portray as a status symbol to ship more macs in a country where the ruling class are keeping the poor under forced military and political control.

And btw and I ve said it before, when you hit 25 billion apps downloaded it would be "classier" to give something back to the community of developpers that allow you to ship all these idevices, such as sponsoring a few well deserved app efforts that are struggling to survive.

What crass pr stunt of flying this girl over, dressing her up, hairdressing her and having her picture taken in the Chinese store... Makes Phil Shiller jumping off from 20 feet to a mattress to introduce the iBook seem like the epitome of good taste.

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