Apple Opens Extensive Research Lab in Shenzhen, China

[dszakal]

You tell us hahah 😂 List those years ahead techs that you've came across and let's analyse

They have in App Store their GPS software which has a title in mandarin characters only. Their job is easier as they only need to support Chinese roads, but the UX and UI is 5 years ahead of Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps. They way it draws which lanes to take in a complex set of junctions is just something unavailable anywhere else and a pure genius UI/UX.

Also when there's an uber Didi just around the corner, you see how long they will wait for the red light in seconds - using the APIs of this map backend.

Don't underestimate them, visit the country yourself and see with your own eyes.

Not everything is perfect though, I had to tell my passport number on 4 different menu items of AliPay, as that UX was clearly backwards.

In general Chinese UIs are different, more similar to the old style "fit many information on one screen", which I prefer to the "BIG PAY BUTTON and every other option hidden" pattern very common here.

 

[DarthDon]

I know I’m not the only one that thinks this is a terrible idea

It is truly. That view is just for peoples with a deeper understanding.

 

[spcopsmac21]

Whilst you can't ignore the ethics issues associated with China, some of the consumer technology that comes out of the country is years ahead of what's coming out of the West.

😂🤣😂🤣🤣😂
China can’t produce items with chipsets smaller than 7nm.

They don’t have access to modern AI.
Every single AI offering they have spit out in the last five years have been fake.

They are the IP theft capitol of the world. And very few home grown technologies come from china. Homegrown tech in china is almost non existent.
If it comes from china the technology 99.99999% of the time came from somewhere else.

The only reason china can spit out so much stuff it’s because of its almost total lack of environmental regulations and it’s almost dystopian disregard for its population in poorer provinces.

I’ve been to china. Outside of the cities it’s like stepping back 75 years into the past.

It’s the exact same way in Russia.

 

[spcopsmac21]

They have in App Store their GPS software which has a title in mandarin characters only. Their job is easier as they only need to support Chinese roads, but the UX and UI is 5 years ahead of Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps. They way it draws which lanes to take in a complex set of junctions is just something unavailable anywhere else and a pure genius UI/UX.

Also when there's an uber Didi just around the corner, you see how long they will wait for the red light in seconds - using the APIs of this map backend.

Don't underestimate them, visit the country yourself and see with your own eyes.

Not everything is perfect though, I had to tell my passport number on 4 different menu items of AliPay, as that UX was clearly backwards.

In general Chinese UIs are different, more similar to the old style "fit many information on one screen", which I prefer to the "BIG PAY BUTTON and every other option hidden" pattern very common here.

I end up in china every 2-3 years and have for the last 20.

Do me a favor and drive 20 minutes outside of the city and see how well those map functions work.

Enjoy your BYD electric car and GPS on mud roads, no charging infrastructure and the millions of destitute Chinese citizen that’s stair at you as if you’re there from UNICEF.

The cities are modern marvel yes.
But underneath they are imploding messes of tofu with entire building falling in on themselves and roads caving in.

Yes America has poor areas. But there are more people in china literally living under the poverty line than there are Americans total.

And you are SO CLOSE to understanding why their UI is so information rich.
The people are the product and china is a surveillance state.
And the fact simplified Chinese, mandarins/cantonese can express far more grammatically in a much smaller space.

 

[coffeemilktea]

Despite efforts to diversify its manufacturing supply chain outside China, Apple continues to invest in research within the country. The company has previously established research centers in Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou, and Shenzhen, with its research and development team in China reportedly doubling in size over the past five years.

On one hand, they diversify outside of China but with the other hand they invest more in China? Interesting strategy. 🤔

 

[alongdingdong]

I rather have them exit China completely.

Having lived there for over 12 years, i can tell you that it`s long overdue for western businesses to move out of China.

 

[spcopsmac21]

On one hand, they diversify outside of China but with the other hand they invest more in China? Interesting strategy. 🤔

 

[indychris]

From the company that brought you, 'Nothing is more important to Apple than your privacy' now comes 'Let me introduce you to our new research facility in the country that watches every single thing its citizens do.'

Apple is now officially a farce.

 

[WWPD]

Chickens setup research lab in Wolves den.

 

[return2sendai]

It’s a country of a billion people, no doubt there will be plenty of talented engineers among them. Makes sense to make use of that, as all businesses do.

The only thing that makes that complicated is the Chinese government. We had a great relationship with them in the 90s and 00s as they were pushing for WTO membership, but since the current leader took office things have been much more adversarial.

Doesn’t necessarily follow. 1.42 billion people and look at their current Men’s FIFA Ranking:

 

[Octavius8]

tell me how much of it’s revenue Apple invests in R&D vs Huawei. You will be surprised. Huawei has much more advanced phones and tablets, in general, than Apple. You might not like them, but currently they are more advanced in most features. Even if you are proud and it hurts, just try their products and you will be convinced.

 

[Darren.h]

whatever secrets or things that you discover. WILL BE STOLEN BY CHINA.

 

[victorvictoria]

Funny how all our politicians represent China as The Great Satan, out to destroy America. But our multinational corporations all want to manufacture there. And all our citizens have a house full of Chinese products. And I know of a certain "God Bless the USA" bible that's made in China, too.

 

[sw1tcher]

😂🤣😂🤣🤣😂
China can’t produce items with chipsets smaller than 7nm.

They (SMIC) are already producing 5nm chips

China close to shipping 5 nm chips, despite Western curbs

SMIC is facing lower yields as it makes 5 nm chips for Huawei smartphones.

arstechnica.com

They don’t have access to modern AI.
Every single AI offering they have spit out in the last five years have been fake.

Keep thinking that.

Meanwhile...

Stakes Rising In The US-China AI Race

Stakes Rising In The US-China AI Race | Global Finance Magazine

gfmag.com

Assessing the current state of the US-China AI race is challenging, given the classified nature of much AI development, particularly in autonomous weapons systems. However, when it comes to generative AI, experts like Rogoyski generally agree that the US holds the upper hand at present.

Yet, this lead isn’t necessarily secure. Govini’s 2024 National Security Scorecard reveals that China has outpaced the US in AI and machine learning (ML) patents every year since 2021, with more than double the US patents granted in 2023 alone. “This is concerning because patents are the seeds of innovation and a leading indicator that we are slipping behind in the race to develop the most powerful AI,” Dougherty warns.

https://www.axios.com/2024/05/03/ai-race-china-us-research

China leads the U.S. as a top producer of research in more than half of AI's hottest fields, according to new data from Georgetown University's Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) shared first with Axios.

Why it matters: The findings reveal important nuances about the global race between the U.S. and China to lead AI advances and set crucial standards for the technology and how it is used around the world.

[ . . . ]

The big picture: The top five producers of sheer numbers of AI research papers in the world are Chinese institutions, led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"China is absolutely a world leader in AI research, and in many areas, likely the world leader," Arnold said, adding the country is active across a range of research areas, including increasingly fundamental research.

China Is Closing the A.I. Gap With the United States

In recent weeks, Chinese tech companies have unveiled technologies that rival American systems — and they are already in the hands of consumers and software developers.

www.nytimes.com

In recent weeks, Chinese tech companies have unveiled technologies that rival American systems — and they are already in the hands of consumers and software developers.

 

[spcopsmac21]

They (SMIC) are already producing 5nm chips

China close to shipping 5 nm chips, despite Western curbs

SMIC is facing lower yields as it makes 5 nm chips for Huawei smartphones.

arstechnica.com

Stakes Rising In The US-China AI Race

Stakes Rising In The US-China AI Race | Global Finance Magazine

gfmag.com

Assessing the current state of the US-China AI race is challenging, given the classified nature of much AI development, particularly in autonomous weapons systems. However, when it comes to generative AI, experts like Rogoyski generally agree that the US holds the upper hand at present.

Yet, this lead isn’t necessarily secure. Govini’s 2024 National Security Scorecard reveals that China has outpaced the US in AI and machine learning (ML) patents every year since 2021, with more than double the US patents granted in 2023 alone. “This is concerning because patents are the seeds of innovation and a leading indicator that we are slipping behind in the race to develop the most powerful AI,” Dougherty warns.

https://www.axios.com/2024/05/03/ai-race-china-us-research

China leads the U.S. as a top producer of research in more than half of AI's hottest fields, according to new data from Georgetown University's Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) shared first with Axios.

Why it matters: The findings reveal important nuances about the global race between the U.S. and China to lead AI advances and set crucial standards for the technology and how it is used around the world.

[ . . . ]

The big picture: The top five producers of sheer numbers of AI research papers in the world are Chinese institutions, led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"China is absolutely a world leader in AI research, and in many areas, likely the world leader," Arnold said, adding the country is active across a range of research areas, including increasingly fundamental research.

China Is Closing the A.I. Gap With the United States

In recent weeks, Chinese tech companies have unveiled technologies that rival American systems — and they are already in the hands of consumers and software developers.

www.nytimes.com

In recent weeks, Chinese tech companies have unveiled technologies that rival American systems — and they are already in the hands of consumers and software developers.

China doesn’t have access to advance AI nodes.

World leading.

I’ll take the fact I’m there regularly and see what their are “ offering “ as AI.

Over articles from news outlets that haven’t sent journalists to china but have Chinese reps come to the states to “ tell them “ about their AI.

 

[Speedy2]

While most strategists have been warning us loudly for years how dangerous our reliance on exports to the Chinese market and imports of cheap Chinese products is, many large companies just can't resist the sweet smell of short-term profits.

Someone mentioned the supposedly advanced battery technology in China. It is not more advanced compared to us at all. They just have the ability to manufacture these things at crazy low prices due to humongous state subsidies, nonexisting environmental regulations, slave labor in certain provinces, a still largely poor rural population, and many other things.

And we're not even talking about the political and moral aspects of a paranoid, insecure dictatorship and its desire to restore their standing from 2000 years ago.

 

[spcopsmac21]

tell me how much of it’s revenue Apple invests in R&D vs Huawei. You will be surprised. Huawei has much more advanced phones and tablets, in general, than Apple. You might not like them, but currently they are more advanced in most features. Even if you are proud and it hurts, just try their products and you will be convinced.

🤣😂
Their current pay by phone feature is an always on camera that captures pictures 24/7.

The camera is always on. It was billed as an advanced tap to pay system. When in reality it’s scanning QR and Barcodes non stop.

Their processors , even their most advanced is behind Samsungs mid tier offerings.

I will admit they have some really nice devices. They look good.
But the last time I was in ShenZen my interpreter spent an hour on my iPad having the time of his life all while his folding Huawei sat on a wireless charger. He said the phone gets “ hot Hot hot “ after charging.

I’ll let you in on a little know not so secret.

Look at how long Huawei supports its devices.
Look at how accessible third party parts are for older devices. It’s almost non existent.

I’ve walked through the tech markets in ShenZen. I’m like a kid in a candy store. And honestly I think anyone would be.
But stall after stall, small supplier one after another.

They have Samsung, Apple parts by the truck loads.

You almost have to walk into a Huawei store for service and parts accessibility.

 

[jonnyb098]

Great idea, open a research lab in a country that steals IP…..

 

[flybass]

At least Apple sucks at AI so they have no valuable IP to give to the Chinese.

 

[klasma]

Maybe the lab is for researching leaks?

 

[reyesmac]

If I was them I would figure out what a fully robot produced iPhone looks like and year by year design it closer to that standard for an eventual switch in manufacturers. If they have contracts they can always produce their cheapest phones over there and the new robot produced models elsewhere.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

Wonder if this is the facility that will be building Apple Intelligence for the Chinese market. China has been quick to implement AI regulation that Apple Intelligence may not be compliant with.

 

[Daul]

Research lab in China???......What on earth could possibly go wrong? Have we not learnt from the last time???

What “last time”?
Hurr durr China bad! 🤡

 

[Daul]

whatever secrets or things that you discover. WILL BE STOLEN BY CHINA.

You know the Industrial Revolution only came to America through industrial espionage right?

 

[big_papa_johnny]

You know the Industrial Revolution only came to America through industrial espionage right?

America wasn’t even a nation when the Industrial Revolution started, and yet it still managed to innovate and invent new technologies based on that which it did steal through industrial espionage. China has been around for ages and has done neither.