Apple Launches Online Store on China's WeChat Platform

[MacRumors]

Apple has launched an online store in China's WeChat app, the Tencent-owned social media platform has announced (via Reuters).

China's dominant messaging app will host the Apple store via one of its mini-programs, which typically offers e-commerce, financial, and live-streaming services to WeChat's over 1.2 billion users.

Customers will be able to purchase the full line of Apple products including iPhones, iPads, and Macs on the store. Orders via WeChat are eligible for free shipping, and some users can pay for three-hour delivery and access Apple's trade-in program.

The move follows a pattern of Apple branching out its sales in China by turning to social media platforms, which Chinese consumers increasingly use to shop.

As Reuters points out, Apple already operates a similar shop on Tencent-rival Alibaba Group's Tmall online marketplace, while JD.com, China's second-largest online retailer, is an official Apple reseller. Apple also tried marketing its products on a livestream in China in May for the first time with an hour-long show.

China's smartphone sales in the first quarter fell 5% year on year, marking the lowest first-quarter sales figure for the country since 2014, according to data from Counterpoint Research cited by Reuters.

However, the research firm said Apple bucked the trend in the same quarter by recording a 19.9% share of the Chinese smartphone market – its biggest since 2014 – as it increased sales by 6% year-on-year in a declining market.

Article Link: Apple Launches Online Store on China's WeChat Platform

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

WeChat is so big

 

[iZac]

...and they say there are no third party App Stores on iOS.

 

[Will Co]

...so that the authorities can keep track of everything that's purchased from Apple. The China surveillance machine in full swing. It's almost impossible to do anything in China these days without doing it through WeChat or WePay.

 

[majkom]

Good… what about freaking apple store in Czechia Tim?

 

[5232152]

WeChat is so big

One feels compelled almost to say bloated.
The amount of things the app can do is so wild that the app must be updated three times a day and be a few gigabytes?
It would almost seem healthier that they made their own OS at this point, but then again - then Chinese people can't put it on their precious symbol of wealth - The iPhone

 

[senttoschool]

One feels compelled almost to say bloated.
The amount of things the app can do is so wild that the app must be updated three times a day and be a few gigabytes?
It would almost seem healthier that they made their own OS at this point, but then again - then Chinese people can't put it on their precious symbol of wealth - The iPhone

You really think the iPhone is a symbol of wealth in China?

It’s just any other phone. It’s no more a symbol of wealth than it is in the US.

 

[5232152]

You really think the iPhone is a symbol of wealth in China?

It’s just any other phone. It’s no more a symbol of wealth than it is in the US.

Nice way to miss the entire point 😂

 

[haruhiko]

...and they say there are no third party App Stores on iOS.

It’s the Apple Store for buying iPhone and other hardware.

 

[haruhiko]

...so that the authorities can keep track of everything that's purchased from Apple. The China surveillance machine in full swing. It's almost impossible to do anything in China these days without doing it through WeChat or WePay.

As if they can’t already? And as if credit card transactions through Visa or MasterCard are non traceable?
And I guess one can still shell out a bunch of CNY bank notes to buy an iPhone at a physical store if they want so called “anonymity” for a fake sense of security.

 

[iZac]

It’s the Apple Store for buying iPhone and other hardware.

Yeah, they're bending to local market though. The so called "mini programs" WeChat offer are literally an app store within the app. Alipay is just as consolidated in that regard too.

Too bad Epic didn't bring this up in their Fortnite lawsuit!

 

[haruhiko]

Yeah, they're bending to local market though. The so called "mini programs" WeChat offer are literally an app store within the app. Alipay is just as consolidated in that regard too.

Too bad Epic didn't bring this up in their Fortnite lawsuit!

I wonder if the Zuck would make WhatsApp like WeChat some day.I guess he really wants to do so.

 

[senttoschool]

Yeah, they're bending to local market though. The so called "mini programs" WeChat offer are literally an app store within the app. Alipay is just as consolidated in that regard too.

Too bad Epic didn't bring this up in their Fortnite lawsuit!

There’s no bending. You can make a super app like wechat in any country. Apple isn’t going to stop you.

However, whether users like using super apps outside of China is a different story.

Every US tech company dreams of making a super app and they often cite the success of Chinese apps. Uber, Square, Twitter, Facebook, etc. have all said publicly that they want to build a super app. They haven’t succeeded.

 

[GeoStructural]

...so that the authorities can keep track of everything that's purchased from Apple. The China surveillance machine in full swing. It's almost impossible to do anything in China these days without doing it through WeChat or WePay.

Don’t worry, Privacy is a human right, Timmy said so. 🙄

 

[Le0M]

You really think the iPhone is a symbol of wealth in China?

It’s just any other phone. It’s no more a symbol of wealth than it is in the US.

I live here. People with money (and also those without a lot of if) do buy iPhone. Sadly it became a status symbol here as well.

 

[Le0M]

One feels compelled almost to say bloated.
The amount of things the app can do is so wild that the app must be updated three times a day and be a few gigabytes?
It would almost seem healthier that they made their own OS at this point, but then again - then Chinese people can't put it on their precious symbol of wealth - The iPhone

Although I really dislike how everything here - in China - relies on wechat, the app does not get updated more than any other social network app, that is, once a week or so. Although to me, that's waaay to frequent.
As far as storage is concerned, the app itself is around 500MB. The problem is how quickly the cache gets big.

 

[Wildkraut]

Looks like Apple just put the pants down to China, again. Interesting to where greed leads.

 

[contacos]

You really think the iPhone is a symbol of wealth in China?

It’s just any other phone. It’s no more a symbol of wealth than it is in the US.

People certainly still have opinions about the iPhone here in Germany as well as in Mexico

A) "WOW! You are stupid paying 1,5 EUR for a phone like why!"
B) "WOW!" Can I have a look? - sees it as a confidence boost
C) "EH! Still looks the same!"

B is the type of person that does not use a phone case for the first 2+ months after release or always buy the latest color option (even though they dont really like that color) to be like LOOK AT ME I HAVE THE LATEST IPHONE ALREADY to compensate something. I used to be B) growing up but with time and age, I turned more into C)

 

[senttoschool]

I live here. People with money (and also those without a lot of if) do buy iPhone. Sadly it became a status symbol here as well.

I’ve lived there too. People with money in the US also buy iPhones.

Apple products can be a status symbol for those in the middle to lower class, like they can in any country.

But to say that people in China think you’re rich if you have an iPhone is just wrong. No one thinks that except the lower class but that’s true in any country.

 

[Le0M]

I’ve lived there too. People with money in the US also buy iPhones.

Apple products can be a status symbol for those in the middle to lower class, like they can in any country.

But to say that people in China think you’re rich if you have an iPhone is just wrong. No one thinks that except the lower class but that’s true in any country.

You do realize the whole concept of "status symbol" lies on the fact that other people see you differently if you have that thing, right?
And that "thing" in this case is the iPhone.
What do people think about iPhone, other than it works well? It's an expensive device.
Listen, while traveling I see people with different phones, and when I see someone with an iPhone 14 Pro I cannot but think "this person must have a lot of money", be it true or not.

 

[I7guy]

That’s an interesting move for Apple.

 

[Shafa]

Apple has launched an online store in China's WeChat app, the Tencent-owned social media platform has announced (via Reuters).

China's dominant messaging app will host the Apple store via one of its mini-programs, which typically offers e-commerce, financial, and live-streaming services to WeChat's over 1.2 billion users.

Customers will be able to purchase the full line of Apple products including iPhones, iPads, and Macs on the store. Orders via WeChat are eligible for free shipping, and some users can pay for three-hour delivery and access Apple's trade-in program.

The move follows a pattern of Apple branching out its sales in China by turning to social media platforms, which Chinese consumers increasingly use to shop.

As Reuters points out, Apple already operates a similar shop on Tencent-rival Alibaba Group's Tmall online marketplace, while JD.com, China's second-largest online retailer, is an official Apple reseller. Apple also tried marketing its products on a livestream in China in May for the first time with an hour-long show.

China's smartphone sales in the first quarter fell 5% year on year, marking the lowest first-quarter sales figure for the country since 2014, according to data from Counterpoint Research cited by Reuters.

However, the research firm said Apple bucked the trend in the same quarter by recording a 19.9% share of the Chinese smartphone market – its biggest since 2014 – as it increased sales by 6% year-on-year in a declining market.

Article Link: Apple Launches Online Store on China's WeChat Platform

Time for WeChat to charge Apple 30% of all purchases made on the AppStore via WeChat.

 

[senttoschool]

You do realize the whole concept of "status symbol" lies on the fact that other people see you differently if you have that thing, right?
And that "thing" in this case is the iPhone.
What do people think about iPhone, other than it works well? It's an expensive device.
Listen, while traveling I see people with different phones, and when I see someone with an iPhone 14 Pro I cannot but think "this person must have a lot of money", be it true or not.

Below is the exact quote I'm referring to. You're arguing about "status symbol". We're discussing "symbol of weath". They're different to me.

then Chinese people can't put it on their precious symbol of wealth - The iPhone

To Chinese people, the iPhone is NOT a symbol of wealth. Anyone can buy an iPhone. Things like luxury cars or luxury houses are considered symbols of wealth.

 

[apparatchik]

Time for WeChat to charge Apple 30% of all purchases made on the AppStore via WeChat.

You know Apple charges 0% on physical goods sold in-app right?

I’ve built several store front apps for the AppStore and besides the $100 enrollment for the dev account we don’t pay Apple a dime for anything sold in-app.

 

[Gudi]

It’s just any other phone. It’s no more a symbol of wealth than it is in the US.

If the poor have no bread, they shall eat cake! World hunger solved by Marie-Antoinette anno 1789.

Sadly it became a status symbol here as well.

It's not a symbol of wealth but an attribute of wealth, if you actually can't afford it. First world tech youtubers can pretend iPhone or Android is a question of personal preferences, but that's only true for rich people.