In China, Apple’s 5G iPhone 12 sparks fever-pitch, but divided reaction

In its second-largest market by revenue, Apple’s announcement was feverishly discussed on social media. With over six billion views, the tag ‘iPhone12’ ranked as the No 1 topic on China’s Twitter-like Weibo. — Apple via AP

SHANGHAI: Apple’s iPhone 12 launch drew mixed reactions in mainland China on Oct 14, with fans cheering a 5G model for their favourite brand while others planned to wait for upcoming devices from local rivals like Huawei Technologies.

The much-anticipated Apple launch comes in the wake of Chinese Android-platform brands such as Huawei and Xiaomi Corp having already rolled out higher-end 5G devices compatible with China’s upgraded telecoms networks, with the US giant seen by some analysts to be late to the party.