The iPhone 15 series saw a dip in sales compared to the previous year. Responding to this, Apple’s CEO made an unexpected visit to China to get a first-hand look at the issues.
Tim Cook met with gamers in Chengdu, located in the southwest of the country. Notably, he engaged with players of Tencent’s newest game, “Honour of Kings”. Besides this, he took time to talk with shoppers and store staff. Sharing his excitement, Cook posted a short video, commenting, “The energy tonight was off the charts!”. Cook also made a trip to Yucheng Elementary School to observe how students were using iPads to engage with local culture.
Reports indicate that sales of the iPhone 15 in China have decreased by 4.5% compared to last year’s iPhone 14 lineup. This data comes from a study conducted by Counterpoint Research. The research attributes the reduced demand for the iPhone 15 to China’s economy, which is still rebounding from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has also led to a decline in Apple’s share price. Consequently, many mainstream media outlets are linking Cook’s visit to concerns regarding the iPhone 15 sales in China.
Tim Cook shared his experience of the visit on the Chinese social media platform, Weibo, writing, “The globally popular Honor of Kings had its beginnings right here in Chengdu. A big thank you to the TiMi Studio Group and the skilled gamers competing at Apple Taikoo Li Chengdu. The vibe tonight was absolutely electric.”
Huawei’s newest Mate 60 Pro smartphone, introduced a few weeks before Apple’s iPhone 15, has garnered positive reviews in China, marking a triumph against US sanctions. When Cook shared posts on Weibo during his trip, the comments were inundated with complaints about the perceived inferior quality of the images. Many drew unfavorable comparisons to photos taken with Chinese devices, particularly Huawei’s recent Mate 60 Pro.
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