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☆ Apple is offering rare iPhone discounts in China
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Apple is offering temporary discounts on its iPhones and other products in China, in an extremely rare move for Apple that comes as competition within Asia’s smartphone market grows more intense. Although third-party sellers at times discount Apple products, Apple itself very rarely offers deals or sales, part of its effort to maintain a premium brand image – something that has been particularly important as Apple seeks to attract high-end buyers in China. The new discounts on the iPhone in China are raising fresh questions about how demand for Apple products is faring recently in the world’s second-largest economy. China has long been a key market for the iPhone maker, with roughly one-fifth of Apple’s overall sales last year coming from China. Last week, Apple lost its status as the stock market’s most valuable company, taking a back seat to Microsoft.

Persons: Yong Xiong Organizations: New, New York CNN, Apple, Mac, Huawei, Wall Street Journal, Research, Jefferies Research, Reuters, Microsoft Locations: New York, China

☆ Apple to Offer Rare Discount on iPhones in China
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Alexandra Stevenson | More About Alexandra Stevenson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ever bought a discounted new phone from Apple? But in China, Apple is slashing the price of some of its latest iPhones by $70 amid worries that Chinese consumers have cooled on the brand. That would save a buyer about 6 to 8 percent, based on prices on Apple’s China website. Cutting prices on high-end electronics to buyers in China is an unexpected move for Apple, one that highlights the challenges the American company faces in China, where patriotic shoppers are choosing domestic brands amid rising US-China tensions. Apple and its Chinese rival, Huawei, are on the front lines of a battle over technology between Beijing and Washington that has seen both countries restrict access to foreign technology.

Organizations: Apple, Huawei Locations: China, Beijing, Washington

☆ Apple Had Better Watch Its Back in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Jacky Wong | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Xiaomi is making a renewed push in the premium segment. Photo: Cfoto/Zuma PressSignals are finally getting stronger for the global smartphone market. Chinese handset makers like Huawei, which had been locked out of the race by U.S. sanctions, are dialing back in. That adds up to a tricky outlook for Apple in China, its second-largest revenue region after North America. Huawei’s Chinese rival Xiaomi , which reported third-quarter results Monday, is also making a renewed push in the premium segment— Apple ’s bread and butter.

Organizations: Zuma Press Signals, Huawei, Apple Locations: China, North America

BEIJING, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Strong sales growth at Huawei (HWT.UL) helped power an 11% rise in China's total smartphone shipments in October, data from research firm Counterpoint showed on Tuesday, indicating signs of recovery in its lagging mobile market. Huawei was a major contributor to the average year-on-year growth in the first four weeks of October, with its sales surging 83%, a note from the firm showed. According to the Counterpoint data, Xiaomi (1810.HK) also saw a 33% increase in smartphone sales in October. China's smartphone market has seen sales fall over several quarters, with a 3% drop in the quarter ending June, according to Counterpoint. Analysts expect the market may be poised for a rebound, with research firm IDC predicting unspecified year-on-year sales growth in the fourth quarter after ten consecutive quarters of falling shipments.

Persons: Archie Zhang, we’re, ”, Ivan Lam, Yelin Mo, Brenda Goh, Jan Harvey Organizations: Huawei, HK, IDC, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China

☆ Exclusive: Baidu placed AI chip order from Huawei in shift away from Nvidia -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Baidu ordered 1,600 of Huawei Technologies' 910B Ascend AI chips - which the Chinese firm developed as an alternative to Nvidia's A100 chip - for 200 servers, the source said, adding that by October, Huawei had delivered more 60% of the order, or about 1,000 chips, to Baidu. Baidu, alongside Chinese peers such as Tencent (0700.HK) and Alibaba (9988.HK), is known to be a long-time client of Nvidia. Baidu was not previously known to be a AI chip customer of Huawei. Huawei's website says it has since 2020 collaborated with Baidu to make its AI platform compatible with Huawei hardware. Baidu has developed its own line of Kunlun AI chips, which the company says supports large-scale AI computing, but the company has mainly relied on Nvidia's A100 chip to train its LLM.

Persons: Aly, Baidu, Ernie, Yelin Mo, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, Josh Ye, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Baidu, Artificial Intelligence, REUTERS, Rights, HK, Huawei, U.S ., Nvidia, Huawei Technologies, U.S, HUAWEI, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Rights BEIJING, SHANGHAI, U.S, Beijing, Hong Kong

☆ How Huawei plans to rival Nvidia in the AI chip business
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Better known globally for its telecoms and smartphones businesses, Huawei has for the past four years been building an AI chip line. Here is what we know about its Ascend AI chip series, and its main product to rival Nvidia's A100 chip, the 910B. WHY AND HOW DID HUAWEI ENTER THE AI CHIP BUSINESS? Baidu ordered 1,600 of Huawei 910B chips for 200 servers in August, one source told Reuters. Analysts have estimated China's AI chip market to be worth $7 billion and grabbing market share from Nvidia could mark a win for Huawei against the United States.

Persons: Benoit Tessier, Nvidia, CANN, Liu Qingfeng, iFlyTek, Jiang Tao, Baidu, Meng Wanzhou, Josh Ye, Brenda Goh Organizations: Huawei Technologies, Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Nvidia, Huawei, Baidu, HK, HUAWEI, Reuters, Analysts, CHINA, Thomson Locations: Porte, Paris, France, HONG KONG, China, United States

☆ Shares in China's iFlyTek tumble after reports AI-powered device criticised Mao
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An iFlytek company sign is seen at the Appliance and Electronics World Expo (AWE) in Shanghai, China March 23, 2021. It has proposed the compilation of a blacklist of sources that cannot be used to train Chinese AI models. IFlyTek on Tuesday revealed its latest Spark AI model which the company says can rival OpenAI’s ChatGPT in most key areas. Liu said iFlytek’s model could compete with OpenAI’s GPT-4 early next year. The company also said that it is working with Huawei Technologies (HWT.UL) on an AI model training platform which uses Huawei’s flagship AI chips.

Persons: Aly, Mao Zedong, Baijiahao, Mao, iFlyTek, Liu Qingfeng, OpenAI’s, Liu, Josh Ye, Brenda Goh, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Appliance, Electronics, REUTERS, Reuters, Communist Party, Huawei Technologies, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, HONG KONG, iFlytek

☆ Jon Stewart’s show on Apple is over because of disagreements about China
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( David Goldman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Stewart informed staff Thursday that he and Apple executives agreed to part ways, according to multiple show staff members with whom Stewart discussed the matter. China worriesChina represents nearly a fifth of Apple’s sales and is the company’s fastest-growing region by far. Apple’s sales in China increased 8% between April and June (the most recent quarter for which Apple has reported its financial statement), while sales fell 6% in the Americas region during that same period. So a potentially critical look at China on Stewart’s show, streamed by Apple, may not have sat well with the consumers and officials Cook is hoping will help boost Apple’s bottom line in the region. But in its most recent season, Stewart started capturing more attention for his show, particularly in clips online, some of which went viral.

Persons: New York CNN —, Jon Stewart ”, Stewart, Tim Cook, Cook, John Oliver’s “, Tim Geithner, Gary Gensler, Nathan Dahm Organizations: New, New York CNN, Apple, The New York Times, Research, HBO, Warner Bros ., SEC, Oklahoma Locations: New York, China, Israel, Americas

☆ iPhone 15 demand dips in China, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Demand for Apple’s new iPhone 15 lineup is weaker in China than for last year’s models, according to analysts. Sales for the iPhone 15 are down 4.5% in China compared to iPhone 14 sales in the first two weeks after its launch, according to Counterpoint Research. Separately, Bloomberg reported on Monday financial firm Jefferies said iPhone 15 sales dropped by a double-digit percentage following strong customer demand for Huawei’s new Mate 60 smartphone line. That’s strong growth for Apple considering sales fell for the third consecutive quarter in August, ahead of the iPhone 15 launch. In September, the US government sought more information about the Mate 60 Pro’s 5G Kirin 9000s processor reportedly developed specifically for the manufacturer.

Persons: Jefferies, they’ve, ” Jeff Fieldhack, Fieldhack, Apple, ” Organizations: CNN, Research, Bloomberg, Huawei, Apple, Kirin Locations: China, United States

☆ Huawei’s New Gadgets Show How China Aims to Move Forward Without Foreign Tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Yang Jie | Newley Purnell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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Persons: Dow Jones

The launch event became the most discussed topic on Chinese social network Weibo, racking up six billion views and 1.6 million posts. Huawei quietly started selling the Mate 60 Pro in August, without a formal launch event or sharing full technical specifications. The company “knows everyone wants to know more about the chip [in the Mate 60 Pro], so them not talking about it is almost like defiance,” he said. Its share of the Chinese market rose from 6.9% to 11.3% over that period. The Shenzhen-based company has seen a recent “surge in sales” for its Mate 60 series, with weekly sales almost tripling to 225,000 units, according to Counterpoint.

Persons: Richard Yu, Tesla, ” trended, “, ”, Yu, Andy Lau, Ben Sin, Andrea Verdelli, Ivan Lam, Lam, Tesla Yu, ” Yu Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Huawei, United, Weibo, Bloomberg, Research, Tesla’s Locations: China, Hong Kong, United States, Washington, Weibo, Beijing, Shenzhen

☆ Huawei wants to go all in on AI in first strategy update in a decade, says Meng Wanzhou
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s rotating chairwoman and chief financial officer, made the announcement in Shanghai during a company event. Huawei’s decision follows a similar move by fellow Chinese tech giant Alibaba (BABA), announced earlier this month, to prioritize AI. Hacking allegationsNews of Huawei’s strategic update came the same day the company was mentioned in allegations lodged by China against the United States. In 2019, Huawei was added to the US “entity list,” which restricts exports to select organizations without a US government license. In recent weeks, Huawei has added to US-China tensions again after launching a new smartphone that represents an apparent technological breakthrough.

Persons: Meng Wanzhou, Meng, “, China —, Ren Zhengfei, Mengchen Zhang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Huawei, Intelligence, Iran, US Department of Justice, China’s Ministry of State Security, United, US National Security Agency, NSA Locations: China, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Canada, United States

☆ US says it has no evidence that Huawei can make advanced smartphones ‘at scale’
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo says the US government has no evidence that Huawei can produce smartphones with advanced chips “at scale,” as it continues to investigate how the sanctioned Chinese manufacturer made an apparent breakthrough with its latest flagship device. On Tuesday, Raimondo told US lawmakers that she was “upset” by news of the launch of Huawei’s Mate 60 Pro during her visit to China last month. “The only good news, if there is any, is we don’t have any evidence that they can manufacture 7-nanometer [chips] at scale,” she told a US House of Representatives hearing. That surprised many because SMIC, a partially state-owned Chinese company, has also been subject to US export restrictions for years. The following year, the US government expanded on those curbs by seeking to cut Huawei off from chip suppliers that use US technology.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Raimondo, China’s, TechInsights, Ivan Lam, Kevin Frayer, Toby Zhu, Zhu, Lam, — Rashard Rose, Mengchen Zhang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Huawei, Kirin, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, CNN, SK Hynix, Huawei ”, Research, IT, Eurasia Group Locations: China, Hong Kong, Korean, Beijing, Shenzhen, Apple’s

The Shenzhen-based company has not explained exactly how seven-nanometer chips ended up in the new Mate 60 Pro smartphone series. Analysts estimate deliveries of the Mate 60 Pro could top 5 million this year. Follow @KatrinaHamlin on XCONTEXT NEWSHuawei started preselling its Mate 60 Pro+ smartphone alongside a new foldable phone in September. The Chinese company started selling its high-end smartphones Mate 60 and Mate 60 Pro at the end of August. The Huawei Mate 60 Pro contained a 7-nanometer processor that was made in China by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp, according to analysts at TechInsights.

Persons: TSMC, TechInsights, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, TechInsights, Kirin, Manufacturing International Corp, HK, Washington, SK Hynix, Huawei, TSMC, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp, SK, South, Bloomberg, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Shenzhen, Beijing

☆ What China’s new smartphone means for Wall Street
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Huawei’s feat could mean that Chinese technology has been progressing much faster than previously thought. Before the Bell spoke to Zino about what’s happening and what it means for Wall Street. Huawei’s new smartphone uses an internally developed, very powerful chip that’s manufactured by the Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), a partially state-owned Chinese semiconductor foundry. In the long term, this is probably a good thing for the leading semiconductor companies like Nvidia (NVDA) and Qualcomm (QCOM). Furniture companies are in a rutPeople aren’t buying furniture like they used to, reports my colleague Samantha Delouya.

Persons: there’s, Mike Gallagher, Michael McCaul, Angelo Zino, Bell, There’s, they’ve, They’ve, it’s, Anna Cooban, Samantha Delouya, Hooker, “, ” Williams, Laura Alber Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN —, Huawei, House, Skyworks, Materials, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, Nvidia, Qualcomm, Intel, Federal Reserve, West Elm Locations: New York, China, Taiwan, Korea, United States, Asia, Saudi Arabia, Europe, Virginia, Wayfair, Williams, Sonoma

The Mate 60 is priced from 5,999 yuan ($817.70), the same as Apple's iPhone 14 in China. Huawei's launch also comes days before Apple is expected to launch its new iPhone 15 on Sept. 12.WHO ARE THE MATE 60'S SUPPLIERS? The Mate 60 Pro contains more Chinese-made chip components than previous models, TechInsights also said. WHAT COULD IT MEAN FOR APPLE IN CHINA'S SMARTPHONE MARKET? And cumulative shipments of Mate 60 Pro could reach at least 12 million units 12 months after launch, according to Kuo.

Persons: TechInsights, Chi Kuo, Kuo, Yelin Mo, Brenda Goh, Emelia Sithole Organizations: China's Huawei Technologies, Apple, Huawei, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp, HK, WHO, South Korea's SK Hynix's, SK Hynix, Dongguan Chitwing Technology, ., Visionox Technology, Reuters, TF International Securities, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, SHANGHAI, China, Kirin, SMIC, South, United States, Dongguan, Suzhou, U.S, Washington, Beijing

☆ Huawei’s Breakthrough Still Shows China’s Limits in Tech Race
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Jacky Wong | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/tech/huaweis-breakthrough-still-shows-chinas-limits-in-tech-race-e07f17b2

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ Huawei Phone Is Latest Shot Fired in the U.S.-China Tech War
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Ana Swanson | More About Ana Swanson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Chinese media have referred to the phone as a sign of the country’s technological independence, but U.S. analysts said the achievement still most likely hinged on the use of American technology and machinery, which would have been in violation of U.S. trade restrictions. For the past several years, those restrictions have curtailed Huawei’s ability to produce 5G phones. But Huawei appears to have found a way around those restrictions to make an advanced phone, at least in limited quantities. Though detailed information about the phone is limited, Huawei’s jade-green Mate 60 Pro appears to have many of the same basic capabilities as other smartphones on the market. An examination of the phone by TechInsights, a Canadian firm that analyzes the semiconductor industry, concluded that the advanced chip inside was manufactured by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation of China and was operating beyond the technology limits that the United States has been trying to enforce.

Persons: Trump, Biden, Douglas Fuller, SMIC Organizations: Huawei, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation of China, Copenhagen Business School Locations: United States, China

The difficulty of this achievement also shows the resilience of the country’s chip technological ability," TechInsights analyst Dan Hutcheson said. EUV refers to extreme ultraviolet lithography and is used to make 7 nm or more advanced chips. LIMITED ACHIEVEMENTThe most advanced chip SMIC had previously been known for making was 14nm, as it was barred by Washington in late 2020 from obtaining an EUV machine from Dutch firm ASML (ASML.AS). But TechInsights last year said it believed SMIC had managed to produce 7 nm chips by tweaking simpler DUV machines it could still purchase freely from ASML. Jefferies analysts reckon Huawei is preparing to ship ten million units of the Mate 60 Pro, though it may struggle to support that quantity with China-made 7 nm chips.

Persons: Gina Raimondo's, chipmaker SMIC, Dan Hutcheson, EUV, Jefferies, TechInsights, SMIC, Tilly Zhang, Dragonomics, Zhang, Doug Fuller, David Kirton, Max Cherney, Brenda Goh, Miyoung Kim, Nick Zieminski Organizations: FRANCISCO, Huawei Technologies, U.S, Huawei, U.S . Commerce, Kirin, HK, U.S . Commerce Department's, of Industry, Security, China, U.S . Department of Commerce, China's State Council, Reuters, Copenhagen Business School, Thomson Locations: SHENZHEN, China, California, Washington, Ottawa, U.S, China's, Netherlands

☆ Biden admin believes hack gave China insights into US thinking ahead of Blinken’s crucial Beijing visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Kylie Atwood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The hack – which Microsoft said was launched in mid-May – was discovered by the State Department right around the time of Blinken’s visit to Beijing, officials said. Still, it provided the Chinese government with additional knowledge from the private discussions of US officials heading into Blinken’s visit. Another target of the hack, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo is also expected to soon visit China. Blinken “raised” the issue of the hack in a meeting with top Chinese official Wang Yi in Indonesia on Thursday, a senior State Department official said. On Wednesday State Department Spokesperson Matt Miller said that the department had “detected anomalous activity” in June.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Antony Blinken’s, –, Edward Snowden, Charlie Bell, Blinken, Gina Raimondo, Blinken “, Wang Yi, “, Wang, Matt Miller, ” Miller Organizations: CNN, State Department, Microsoft, FBI, National Security Agency, NSA, The State Department, Wednesday State Locations: Beijing, China, Blinken’s, Indonesia

☆ Chinese electric car makers suffer as Elon Musk doubles down on Tesla price war
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —Shares in Tesla’s Chinese rivals fell on Thursday, after CEO Elon Musk signaled that the company will continue cutting prices to boost demand for electric cars in an increasingly competitive market. XPeng plunged 8% in Hong Kong, while Nio (NIO) sank 5.6%. BYD (BYDDF), the world’s largest seller of plug-in hybrid EVs and battery EVs, also dropped 1% in Hong Kong. A number of car manufacturers in China followed suit by cutting prices or offering discounts, including Xpeng, Leapmotor, BYD and Huawei’s EV unit. According to the most recent statistics from the CPCA, Tesla’s sales of its China-made vehicles surged 35% in March to more than 88,000 units.

☆ Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou Steps Closer to U.S.-China Tech-War Front Line as Chairwoman
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Dan Strumpf | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

HONG KONG—Eighteen months ago, she was a high-profile symbol of a bigger tech battle between China and the U.S. Now, she is set to take the helm of a Chinese telecommunications company at the leading edge of the country’s push to break free from dependence on America for key technologies. Meng Wanzhou , chief financial officer at Huawei Technologies Co., is set to begin a six-month rotation as company chairwoman after presenting annual results on Friday in Shenzhen, China.

☆ Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou Steps Closer to U.S.-China Tech War Frontline as Chairwoman
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Dan Strumpf | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ US is reviewing Huawei export license policy amid rising congressional scrutiny of China
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

US officials have expressed concerns that Huawei’s 5G wireless networking gear could allow the Chinese government to spy on American communications. Huawei has denied that it poses a security risk, and its founder has said the company would resist any Chinese government effort to obtain its data. Confronting Estevez at Tuesday’s hearing, McCaul asked the Commerce Department to square the license approvals with the US government’s wider effort to sideline Huawei and similar companies. Separately, in 2020 the Commerce Department moved to prevent Huawei’s suppliers from selling the company semiconductor chips made by US-built software and equipment, unless those suppliers also obtained a license. Other parts of the US government have also moved against Huawei.

☆ Open-source software braces for trade war
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Pete Sweeney | Thomson Reuters | Asia Economics Editor Pete Sweeney Joined Reuters Breakingviews In Hong Kong In September Previously He Served As Reuters' Chief Correspondent For China Economy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

HONG KONG, Feb 27 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The open-source software movement has been an unprecedented driver of global innovation and productivity growth. As with most Chinese handset makers, founder Ren Zhengfei relied on Android’s open-source code to run his company’s smartphones. Beijing has reciprocated, per a Nikkei report, by instructing its own tech companies not to incorporate ChatGPT into their platforms - a rare example of a mutual firewall. Dividing the world into competing open-source camps would mark another reverse for free trade. Follow @petesweeneypro on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSRegulators have told major Chinese tech companies not to offer ChatGPT services, the Nikkei news service reported on Feb. 22 citing sources with direct knowledge, causing shares in Chinese companies building chatbots to fall.

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