Yeah, I saw that on CNN as well,
<https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/15/tech/apple-rare-discounts-iphones-china/index.html>.

We are all aware of the reasons for Android (and Huawei) dominance in China.

On 1/16/2024 8:59 AM, Ken Blake wrote:

<snip>

> To me, what
> would be more interesting would be the number of iPhone shipments
> compared to the total number of all Android phone shipments.

LOL, that is something that you're not supposed to be concerned about!
You can see that data here:
<https://www.idc.com/getfile.dyn?containerId=prUS51430223&attachmentId=47503428>.
One report concluded: "Apple must look to new market growth and
ecosystem strength to reinvigorate its iPhone business." This is despite
the fact that Apple did really well in 4Q2023 with the iPhone 15 Pro.

The price cuts in China are directly related to the declining market
share of iOS, especially in China. iOS reached a high of 22% in Q4 2022
and now has fallen to 16%. Android went from 76% to 81%. Harmony went
from 2% to 3%, see
<https://www.counterpointresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Global-Smartphone-OS-Sales-Share-Q3-2023-3.png>.

<https://www.counterpointresearch.com/insights/global-smartphone-os-market-share/>.

The thing is, the conditions that keep iOS market share so high in U.S.
don't exist in China, so iOS does even more poorly in China than they do
globally, see:
<https://www.counterpointresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/China-Smartphone-OS-Sales-Share-Q3-2023-2.png>.

In China, the use of iMessage is pretty rare since Android (and Huawei)
dominate. WeChat is the cross-platform app used by nearly everyone,
including iPhone owners. So there's not the same iMessage advantage that
causes iPhone users in the U.S. to avoid Android. It's the same
situation in Europe and in parts of Asia where Android dominates and
everyone, even iPhone users, use WhatsApp.

Also, in China, Apple can't sell services like Apple News+ or Apple TV+
so there's no revenue from those services, and Apple Music is very
limited and very cheap.

The price cuts reflect a realization that Apple needs to be more
competitive against Android in China. It's also why iPhones in China got
dual physical SIM capability, the lack of which was hurting iPhone
sales, but no other countries get iPhones with dual physical SIM slots.

China has another big issue as well when it comes to Android, there are
over 100 app stores distributing Android Apps (Google Play is not
officially available). There are a lot of useful Chinese language apps
available on Android which are not available on iOS. I guess that will
change if and when Apple begins allowing side-loading apps, but for now
this will only be available in the EU.

On Tue, 16 Jan 2024 09:59:05 -0700, Ken Blake <Ken@invalid.news.com>
wrote:

>On 16 Jan 2024 16:48:21 GMT, Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> wrote:
>
>>On 2024-01-16, Alan <nuh-uh@nope.com> wrote:
>>> On 2024-01-15 17:20, Here is the News wrote:
>>>
>>>> China is a very rich country, where, unlike in the United States or
>>>> Europe, everyone can afford a new iPhone every year or two.
>>>
>>> How high were you when wrote this?
>>
>>Meanwhile, here's the new this dip shit troll definitely doesn't want
>>you to know:
>>
>>Apple tops Samsung for first time in global smartphone shipments
>>
>><https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/16/24039830/apple-bestselling-phone-manufacturer-2023-samsung-idc-canalys-research>
>
>
>A relatively minor point, but I don't think comparing the number of
>Apple iPhone shipments can be meaningfully compared to the number of
>shipments of an individual Android phone manufacturer. To me, what
>would be more interesting would be the number of iPhone shipments
>compared to the total number of all Android phone shipments.
>
>On the other hand, I really don't care a lot about any such
>comparisons. I'm happy with my Android phone. If others prefer
>iPhones, so be it.

This is a story about what is going on in China's market. Interesting
how the evasion happens by using global numbers.

"Ken Blake" <Ken@invalid.news.com> wrote

>
On the other hand, I really don't care a lot about any such
comparisons. I'm happy with my Android phone. If others prefer
iPhones, so be it.
>

It is interesting, though, in terms of general tech news and
political news. Apple have been exploiting virtual slave labor
in China for a long time. (When asked about it, Timmy Cook
said that "the whole world makes iPhones" and listed suppliers,
like some kind of goodie-goodie Benneton ad.)

To see Apple get screwed in China, even if only as part
of a trade battle, would provide some poetic justice. They've
been screwing both workers and lapdog customers for years.
And it's no small thing. Apple stock dropped $100B last week
on the news that they expect lower iPhone sales.

That's on top of the news that Apple is removing the blood
oxygen sensor from their watch that's using stolen, patented
tech. (This from the company that claimed round corners was
their patented design.)

And on top of the news that Apple is going to great lengths
to block an app that allows Android users to have blue text
messages on iPhones, so that they're not seen as lower class
with their green messages... Could this all get more ridiculous?

I'd say good riddance to Apple. They should have died a long
time ago on the basis of having zero socially redeeming value.
They're still just riding in the wake of the design
brilliance of the Jobs-Ive team... until their customer base
catches on that they're wasting $1000 for bullshit swank
every 1-2 years, when they throw away their perfectly good
cellphones to add to the global trash heap of unrecyclable
products, and shell out $1500 for a new one that's the same thing
with 3 more cameras.

On 2024-01-18, NoBody <NoBody@nowhere.com> wrote:
> On Tue, 16 Jan 2024 09:59:05 -0700, Ken Blake <Ken@invalid.news.com>
> wrote:
>>On 16 Jan 2024 16:48:21 GMT, Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> wrote:
>>>On 2024-01-16, Alan <nuh-uh@nope.com> wrote:
>>>> On 2024-01-15 17:20, Here is the News wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> China is a very rich country, where, unlike in the United States
>>>>> or Europe, everyone can afford a new iPhone every year or two.
>>>>
>>>> How high were you when wrote this?
>>>
>>>Meanwhile, here's the new this dip shit troll definitely doesn't want
>>>you to know:
>>>
>>>Apple tops Samsung for first time in global smartphone shipments
>>>
>>><https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/16/24039830/apple-bestselling-phone-manufacturer-2023-samsung-idc-canalys-research>
>>
>>A relatively minor point, but I don't think comparing the number of
>>Apple iPhone shipments can be meaningfully compared to the number of
>>shipments of an individual Android phone manufacturer. To me, what
>>would be more interesting would be the number of iPhone shipments
>>compared to the total number of all Android phone shipments.
>>
>>On the other hand, I really don't care a lot about any such
>>comparisons. I'm happy with my Android phone. If others prefer
>>iPhones, so be it.
>
> This is a story about what is going on in China's market.

It's also a story about hardware sales rather than OS market share.

> Interesting how the evasion happens by using global numbers.

Interesting how the evasion happens by comparing OS market share too.

--
E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my ravenous SPAM filter.
I often ignore posts from Google. Use a real news client instead.

JR

On 2024-01-18, Newyana2 <Newyana2@invalid.nospam> wrote:
> "Ken Blake" <Ken@invalid.news.com> wrote
>
>> On the other hand, I really don't care a lot about any such
>> comparisons. I'm happy with my Android phone. If others prefer
>> iPhones, so be it.
>
> It is interesting, though, in terms of general tech news and political
> news. Apple have been exploiting virtual slave labor in China for a
> long time.

As have all of Apple's competitors, most of which are not as transparent
about it and don't bother to hire independent watchdogs to correct
problems when found.

> And on top of the news that Apple is going to great lengths to block
> an app that allows Android users to have blue text messages

My god, you Android users are a bunch of crybabies. You're literally
obsessed with colors. Apple saw a bunch of people abusing the service
and took corrective action, but all you care about is bubble colors.
You're ridiculous. 🤣

> Could this all get more ridiculous?

Probably, Android users will guide that outcome.

> I'd say good riddance to Apple. They should have died a long time ago
> on the basis of having zero socially redeeming value.

People have been drooling over that asinine prediction for decades.
Don't hold your breath, Bucko. 🤣

--
E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my ravenous SPAM filter.
I often ignore posts from Google. Use a real news client instead.

JR

On 1/18/2024 6:10 AM, Newyana2 wrote:

<snip>

> That's on top of the news that Apple is removing the blood
> oxygen sensor from their watch that's using stolen, patented
> tech.

The loss of the O2 sensor is disappointing. I use it often.

--
“If you are not an expert on a subject, then your opinions about it
really do matter less than the opinions of experts. It's not
indoctrination nor elitism. It's just that you don't know as much as
they do about the subject.”—Tin Foil Awards

sms wrote:

>On 1/18/2024 6:10 AM, Newyana2 wrote:
>
><snip>
>
>> That's on top of the news that Apple is removing the blood
>>oxygen sensor from their watch that's using stolen, patented
>>tech.
>
>The loss of the O2 sensor is disappointing. I use it often.

Is someone coming to your house to remove it from your watch?

On 1/18/2024 8:52 AM, badgolferman wrote:

<snip>

> Is someone coming to your house to remove it from your watch?

LOL, no, but I was going to have my wife get an Apple Watch and the lack
of the O2 sensor would be a deal-killer.

I just set up an Apple Watch for a "super-senior" last week and now
she's in the hospital. She wants to compare the hospital's
pulse-oximeter with the Apple Watch, fortunately, she bought it before
the ban.

--
“If you are not an expert on a subject, then your opinions about it
really do matter less than the opinions of experts. It's not
indoctrination nor elitism. It's just that you don't know as much as
they do about the subject.”—Tin Foil Awards

sms wrote:

> I just set up an Apple Watch for a "super-senior" last week and now
> she's in the hospital. She wants to compare the hospital's
> pulse-oximeter with the Apple Watch, fortunately, she bought it before
> the ban.

I thought the type that shone the two colours of light *through* your
body (finger) were more accurate than the type which reflect it off your
body (wrist)?

On 2024-01-18 13:32, Andy Burns wrote:
> sms wrote:
>
>> I just set up an Apple Watch for a "super-senior" last week and now
>> she's in the hospital. She wants to compare the hospital's
>> pulse-oximeter with the Apple Watch, fortunately, she bought it before
>> the ban.
>
> I thought the type that shone the two colours of light *through* your
> body (finger) were more accurate than the type which reflect it off your
> body (wrist)?

Quite right. But observing the trend is still a valid way of checking
if you have an issue. When I had Covid, my SpO2 dipped to 88 on my SpO2
monitor and 91 on my Watch. The Watch is typically 3 - 5% higher than
my SpO2 monitor. (And the latter is one I bought online - probably not
as good as as hospital device).

Quibble, the reflection is not off of your skin but from within your
flesh. Observing what is "lost" in each colour gives the differential
from which the O2 level is estimated. This "differential" is at the
heart of Masimo's case.

In the end Apple have to prove their sensor is substantially different
than Masimo's technology. Given they're using former Masimo employees
to develop the tech they have both a huge mark against them, but also
the expertise in the same employees to help explain the difference to
the courts and hopefully get clear of it all.

My guess is Apple will have to shell out a boatload of cash to get
beyond this, but they'll fight their way to that conclusion.

I do wonder if the removed function is solely in hardware or software
only. If the latter then the function could be retroactively restored
once the dust settles.

Note that here in Canada and the rest of the world, the O2 sensors are
still in the Watch. So if you have a contact here to buy the Watch for
you, (s)he could always get it to you "somehow". This would likely be a
criminal act, however.

--
“Markets can remain irrational longer than your can remain solvent.”
- John Maynard Keynes.

Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> wrote:
> Interesting how the evasion happens by comparing OS market share too.

It seems you want the iPhone and/or the iOS operating system to be
considered using a scale that makes Apple's share not /look/ so small.

While the iPhone/iOS has a very small minority of the total market, for
some reason you want to skew the numbers so that it /feels/ bigger to you.

That's why you want to compare only to one brand, like Samsung.
Or why you want to compare sales in only one country, like in China.

So let's help you feel better about the low sales of Apple's iPhones.

Since your goal is to make Apple's iPhone sales /look/ bigger, probably you
can't choose Samsung to compare Apple's iPhone sales to because of this.
"Samsung outpaces Apple in Q1 2023 smartphone sales"
https://mobilesyrup.com/2023/04/19/samsung-outpaces-apple-in-q1-smartphone-sales/

Since you need to feel better about the low sales of the iPhone, you can
limit comparisons to Oppo, which only had 10%, or better yet, Vivo with 8%.

Now you have a statistic that makes Apple's rather low sales /feel/ bigger!

Apple 21%
Vivo 8%

Since you only chose the iPhone because you were told to choose it, and
since you're seeking affirmation that it was the right choice after all,
doesn't Apple's 21% of the market /feel/ so much better to you than Vivo's?

On 1/18/2024 10:32 AM, Andy Burns wrote:
> sms wrote:
>
>> I just set up an Apple Watch for a "super-senior" last week and now
>> she's in the hospital. She wants to compare the hospital's
>> pulse-oximeter with the Apple Watch, fortunately, she bought it before
>> the ban.
>
> I thought the type that shone the two colours of light *through* your
> body (finger) were more accurate than the type which reflect it off your
> body (wrist)?

I'm sure it is, but the watch gives good enough results.

--
“If you are not an expert on a subject, then your opinions about it
really do matter less than the opinions of experts. It's not
indoctrination nor elitism. It's just that you don't know as much as
they do about the subject.”—Tin Foil Awards