iPhone X in China, make or break time for Apple's aspirational brand
Michael Spencer
A.I. Writer, researcher and curator - full-time Newsletter publication manager.
Apple's gamble to release the iPhone X so soon after it's iPhone 8 could pay off in China, but with increased local competition from Chinese phone makers Apple's future in China is not looking that great, read on.
The Middle Kingdom is not designed to play nice to foreign tech brands, and with Huawei and a rising host of mainland competitors, Apple's exclusivity is wearing thin.
This isn't the China your Mom told you about, this is a rising technology empire. "8" might be a lucky number in Asia, but the iPhone 8 could be a spectacular failure, as Chinese Millennials of the rising have-generation aren't likely to resist the temptation of iPhone X, if they will go the Apple route at all.
Apple at least has some external bling, whether you can appreciate that Face ID is kind of an old tech in China.
"8" might be a lucky number in Asia, but the iPhone 8 could be a spectacular failure
China's smart phone makers accelerating their global and local reach could be bad news for the Samsung-Apple duopoly of recent years.
Chinese consumers will have to pay around US $1,300 (8,570 RMB) for the iPhone X privilege. With Huawei tinkering more with higher end models, 2018 might be the year we see an epic failure of Apple in China, as the trajectory of trends is heading in that direction.
What happens when the status-symbol phone dies?
Apple has in recent years it can be argued, relied on status over innovation to power its global brand's incredibly profitability. With China playing catch-up and over-taking Western tech in the coming years; when Apple goes back to Earth it could be a weary wake-up call.
Finally, an iPhone (X) that's a bit more differentiated, but it's too late for Chinese consumers, many of whom have moved on from the glory days when owning an iPhone was actually a big deal.
The real big story here is that the ascent of China of both its consumers and its firms is the end of global dominance for many American companies. This plays out in the 2020s in ways that's difficult for us to imagine in 2017, but the early signs are already here.
Just perhaps, killing the home button and touch ID, isn't really innovative. Maybe Apple's delays in reinventing itself is wearing on the patience of consumers. I expect Chinese consumers in 2018 to reaffirm this conclusion.
For Apple, 2018 might be the swan-song for its brand in mainland China.
How do you think Apple's new phones will do in China with increasing competition?
React to this in a comment below ??
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EdTech
7 å¹´As much as I would prefer Apple to understand through numbers and feedback that their company isn't up to standards anymore, I have the feeling that Chinese people might still continue with iPhone. China is still and will for a certain time keep being a country where image is important, and showing signs of wealth still has plenty of importance, and this trend will only grow bigger as Chinese middle-class has a higher purchasing power.
Business Operations at The RealReal
7 å¹´Lmao
small business owner
7 å¹´I think fashionable wealthy China will still take up Apple. It is a outstanding product
Subtitle Writer | Content Editor | Copywriting Learner
7 å¹´Break time!!!