TOKYO: Apple’s China business kicked off the Year of the Snake inauspiciously.
Revenue dropped 11 per cent during the December quarter and iPhone sales plunged more than 18 per cent. The Trump administration unveiled fresh tariffs on goods from its biggest manufacturing base, and it’s still unclear if the Cupertino, California-based company can get out of them this time around. Beijing, meanwhile, is reportedly mulling a probe into its app store fees and practices.
But it may have notched a much-needed win on Thursday (Feb 13): Alibaba Group confirmed it would be working with the iPhone maker to finally bring Apple Intelligence to China.
The Information previously reported that Apple and the e-commerce giant had submitted a proposal to regulators. The company has launched its much-hyped artificial intelligence features in the United States and other jurisdictions, but has been plagued by delays in finding a local partner in a market where demand for personal generative AI services is red hot.