Apple Hong Kong has stopped accepting most returns and exchanges for online orders made on or after August 15, in what's likely a preeemptive measure against scalpers ahead of this fall's launch of the "iPhone 8," "iPhone 7s," and "iPhone 7s Plus."
Yikatong, the company handling payments for Beijing's public transit, this week enabled contactless payments for riders using Android — but has reportedly skipped support for the iPhone.
China's Guizhou province is setting up a working committee specifically to oversee Apple's new data center in the region, which was established to comply with cybersecurity laws that went into effect earlier this year.
Citing monopolistic behavior in how it reviews, posts, and removes apps from the App Stores, a cadre of 28 Chinese developers have filed a complaint against Apple, alleging antitrust violations.
Responding to criticism surrounding Apple's recent removal of VPN apps from the Chinese iOS App Store, CEO Tim Cook on Tuesday said the company was simply following new government regulations, as it would for any country in which it operates.
Apple's otherwise solid June-quarter results were held back by a 10 percent year-over-year revenue drop in China, likely caused by the iPhone's slipping position in the local market.
Apple's efforts to achieve a net-zero impact on the world's virgin fiber are paying off, as the company is now protecting or has created enough sustainable forestland to cover all paper packaging products.
Apple has removed virtual private network (VPN) apps from the Chinese App Store, apparently complying with a broader government crackdown on VPN technology.
LG blamed a "challenging quarter for mobiles" for the $117.27 million quarterly loss posted by its mobile unit, even as the company posted slightly higher year-over-year revenues across its other businesses. Samsung similarly reported strong overall earnings—primarily from its semiconductor segment—while its mobile unit turned in revenues and profits better than last year but still below its Galaxy heyday back in 2014.
An analyst historically extremely critical of Apple believes that "iPhone 8" shipments, apparently constrained by late resolution of in-screen OLED Touch ID issues, will impact third quarter shipments for Apple, but won't have much impact on its marketshare, particularly in China.
Apple on Tuesday added 27 U.S. banks and credit unions to the Apple Pay roster, while simultaneously bringing the platform to more options in China, Italy, Ireland, and Russia.
A woman has been arrested in mainland China for smuggling 42 pounds of contraband into the country from Hong Kong, including 102 iPhones and fifteen high-end watches.
Facebook's last remaining tentpole product in China — WhatsApp — has reportedly been severely crippled by changes to China's internet filters, often known as the "Great Firewall."
Apple is making a play to attract Chinese users to Apple Pay, and is offering discounts of up to 50 percent on goods from a wide array of merchants.
Apple's main competition in China — Huawei — has taken the unusual step of releasing a Kentucky Fried Chicken edition of the Enjoy 7 Plus to mark the 30th anniversary of the restaurant chain arriving in the country.
Apple on Wednesday announced the activation of its first data center in China, which is being operated in cooperation with a local internet firm to ensure compliance with the country's strict cybersecurity laws.
Apple on Tuesday updated its roster of Apple Pay card issuers with dozens more U.S. institutions, as well as a few international additions. Uber, meanwhile, announced a long-demanded in-app tipping feature, which should be compatible with Apple Pay. [Updated with support for MBNA in Canada]
Apple is increasing the market share of iPhones and iPads in a number of key markets, according to a report from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, with iOS noted as posting a strong period-on-period gain in urban China after sales of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus outpaced those of local rivals Oppo and Huawei.
Sources claim that Apple manufacturing partner Foxconn has set its sights on Wisconsin as a location for its U.S. plant — but governmental sources in the state note that any firm deal is still some time away.
Addressing a recent controversy, Apple this week updated App Store rules to allow tipping functions — albeit with the company's usual 30 percent take from in-app transactions. Review pop-ups, meanwhile, must now make use of an official Apple API.
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Roger Fingas
Mike Wuerthele
Mikey Campbell
Daniel Eran Dilger
Malcolm Owen
