Trump’s WeChat ban could hurt iPhone sales in China

Without access to WeChat, consumers would likely balk at buying an iPhone in China and other parts of Asia. An online forum popular with stock investors asked users if they would give up their iPhones or WeChat if Apple eliminated the app from its store: They voted to ditch their phones by a margin of 20 to one. — Bloomberg

US President Donald Trump’s order banning US companies from doing business with Chinese messaging app WeChat could damage iPhone sales in one of Apple Inc’s most important markets.

The order would block all transactions involving WeChat, which would prohibit Apple from distributing WeChat to mobile devices through its App Store. WeChat is central to digital life in China. It’s the go-to app for a billion people for shopping, payments, email, web browsing and all forms of business and personal communications. Many Chinese don’t use phone numbers or emails. Visitors to the country have to download the app and load it with money or risk not being able to pay for even small purchases.