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.

Limited time offer:
Just RM5 per month.

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month
RM5/month

Billed as RM5/month for the 1st 6 months then RM13.90 thereafters.

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In Tech News

Televisa to merge Sky, cable 'as soon as possible'
EU's Vestager meets French tech firm Mistral AI amid competition concerns
Shein falls under tough EU online content rules as user numbers jump
Google parent Alphabet reclaims spot in $2 trillion valuation club
India's HCLTech misses Q4 revenue estimates
Chipmaker Intel falls as AI competition hurts forecast
Russia's Yandex reports Q1 revenue rise as market awaits spin-off news
Japan to levy big fines with new app rules
Inside Big Tech’s underground race to buy AI training data
Facebook scams demand stricter online rules, Japan lawmaker says

Others Also Read