'Tale of Love and Hate: China's New iPhone Model Revealed at 1 AM'

Rising to Top of Portal Popular Searches, Drawing Attention
"Been Waiting" "Finally Time to Change" Positive Responses... "Huawei is More Stable" Also Noted

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Kim Hyunjung] Amid escalating US-China tensions over the semiconductor supply chain, there remains strong interest in the US Apple iPhone 14 new product within China. While externally China is pushing for self-reliance in core semiconductor technologies and the domestic smartphone market is experiencing a downturn, attention is focused on whether this interest will translate into sales.

On the 8th, major Chinese media including Xin Jing Bao (The Beijing News) reported in real-time on the Apple iPhone 14 new product lineup announced at 1 a.m. local time. Xin Jing Bao provided simultaneous interpretation of the new product launch conference and introduced the products, also offering expert analysis. The iPhone 14 will begin pre-orders on the 9th and officially launch in China on the 16th. Prices start from 5999 yuan (approximately 1.18 million KRW).

On major Chinese portals such as Baidu, "2022 Apple Autumn Conference" and specific feature changes ranked high among popular search terms from early dawn. Chinese netizens responded positively to design changes at the top of the display where the camera is placed and the latest chip installation, quickly reviewing the products. Some netizens commented with purchase intentions, saying "Been waiting," "Interesting product," and "The official website is not accessible, when can we buy it?" Conversely, rebuttals such as "Huawei is more stable," and "If you are Chinese, buy Chinese phones" were also noticeable.

Despite trade conflicts between the US and China including the semiconductor supply chain and worsening sentiments between the peoples of the two countries, iPhone sales in China have remained solid. According to market research firm Counterpoint Research, the iPhone's market share in the second quarter of this year was 13%. Although it lags behind local brands Huawei Honor (20%), Vivo (20%), Oppo (18%), and Xiaomi (17%), it improved by 1 percentage point compared to the previous year (12%). Right after the launch of the iPhone 13 in the fourth quarter of last year, its market share was 22%, surpassing Huawei Honor (17%), Oppo (17%), Vivo (16%), and Xiaomi (16%).

Meanwhile, the US is more overtly attempting to exclude China from the semiconductor supply chain through the Chips and Science Act. According to the US Department of Commerce, if semiconductor production facilities are expanded or newly built in countries considered a threat to national security, they will not be eligible for US government support. In particular, to receive government subsidies, there must be no investment in advanced facilities at Chinese factories for 10 years. Chinese President Xi Jinping recently appeared to target this by ordering nationwide support for core technology development and emphasizing technological self-reliance.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.