AFAIK the App Store is run by "Apple Distribution International", which is a company in Ireland. I'm not so sure if Trump can go as far as convincing the EU to take down WeChat for the entire world.
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Kuo: Global iPhone Shipments Could Decline Up to 30% If Apple Forced to Remove WeChat From App Store [Updated x2]
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I hope that's not the case in banning it worldwide. I have tons of mainland Chinese friends and that's the mode of communication with them.
Trump seems to not care about how Fast Chinese people can throw away iOS as soon as basic app inside China stops working. Apple definitely will care, but then what? Without iOS devices sales in China, the worldwide customers will surely see iOS device price skyrocket from Apple to make up for lost market in China.
A few factors:
- China typically represents 20% of Apple's global revenue
- Most Apple subscription services are unavailable in China, so Apple sales in China generate less revenue
- iPhone X shipments to China represented 25% of Apple's total in Q4'17
- China has over 100 million 5G subscribers; iPhone 5G is expected to result in a supercycle like iPhone X
- According to the IMF, China will be the only country in the world with GDP growth; all other regions will shrink
If the potential consequences are so big then just the threat of a possible ban might be having consequences now of people starting to sell their devices before it’s too late or risks being caught in an unprepared situation.
Wouldn’t the pull be on non-iOS too? Granted it’s easier to side step the stores there, but wouldn’t that affect all stores and devices that come with or can access WeChat in the US (including Google Store)?
Unrelated but was curious: After learning and hearing this about WeChat, isn’t there a possibility that it also got a free pass regarding AppStore dev reviewing process? It even sounds like it’s own operating system that does so much more than just a “chat” app.
Does it have games?
IIRC, Trump is banning US companies to do business with WeChat's parent company.
That should mean that whatever tax-loops Apple is using, they would need to remove WeChat from the stores all over.
Android can avoid this since they "allow" other stores than PlayStore, but WeChat would have to be removed from PlayStore.
That should mean that whatever tax-loops Apple is using, they would need to remove WeChat from the stores all over.
Android can avoid this since they "allow" other stores than PlayStore, but WeChat would have to be removed from PlayStore.
There was a vending machine selling drinks in the lobby of my hotel in China. You could only pay using WeChat or Alipay. The economic implications of this would be enormous.
30% is very optimistic. Make that 100%. A smartphone without WeChat is as useful as a dumbphone in China.
My impression built during the years is that he's not the only US citizen thinking that the rest of the world is just a backyard. Luckily a minority, but still too many.
if an iPhone can't have We Chat on it, then no iPhone sale, in alot of regions in Asia.
apple's iPhone sales, not only in China proper, but also in Taiwan and Hong Kong will fall almost totally if ability to continue to jailbreak is somehow curtailed, and, to be able to jail break immediately after purchasing it. no person in greater china wants a new iPhone and not have We Chat on it.
but its not just (greater) China. sales within SE Asia countries will also fall off greatly - especially to anyone who does any sort of business.
as an aside, i haven't seen a lot of un-jailbroken iPhones in China.
Japan would probably be the least affected country in Asia, followed by Vietnam.
regarding the potential for cheeto-faced trump to actually force a worldwide ban on apple's ability to offer We Chat in any of its national app stores, here is how it works:
consolidated financial reporting and interlocking ownership for tax purposes etc of most (all) of apple's subsideraries makes it a real possibility that trump could make good on his threat, posing it as a threat to national security blah blah blah.
and then neither apple nor its subsidiaries would be able to offer We Chat in any app store, worldwide.
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Don’t understand why the worldwide ban. Banning the apps for the US store makes sense, but worldwide? That’s imo fringing upon the sovereignty of other nations.
ooof I never considered this, but yeah it would be devastating if they couldn’t even keep WeChat on the Chinese store.
WeChat is more than a messaging app - it’s almost like it’s own little operating system, AppStore, everything. In fact, it’s almost like it’s own little economy with how much daily life in China depends on WeChat.
WeChat is more than a messaging app - it’s almost like it’s own little operating system, AppStore, everything. In fact, it’s almost like it’s own little economy with how much daily life in China depends on WeChat.
i think it’s even bigger than that - Apple being forced to take down WeChat by the US government would undermine every American company (and possibly every western company in general) hoping to sell their goods in China. Customers could never be certain that a rogue government won’t walk in and shut it all down, leaving them with expensive paperweights.
Worth noting, WeChat isn't some 'popular' platform in China. It's pretty much a compulsory app that the government uses to track people's movements/habits and monitor their conversations.
Not having it would severely inconvenience your movements/interactions in China because a lot of public infrastructure relies on it.
So... people wouldn't be dumping Apple by choice because they 'want' WeChat. Rather, their lives would become a lot more complicated.
Not having it would severely inconvenience your movements/interactions in China because a lot of public infrastructure relies on it.
So... people wouldn't be dumping Apple by choice because they 'want' WeChat. Rather, their lives would become a lot more complicated.
Privacy advocates still find ways to get around without all their movements and conversations being monitored by the CCP.
It's a majorly dystopian piece of software that I would never install. However, does that mean others shouldn't be able to install it by choice? IMO part of freedom is having the freedom to make stupid mistakes...
Unless US put WeChat or Tencent officially on the Sanction list ( Which I am willing to bet money it wont happen ). WeChat will likely only not be available in US Market, which isn't much of a problem consider most Chinese user outside China could switch region in App Store. ( And they are already doing it )
Top kek. WeChat is for Chinese proles to keep them in their place. The inner party (and aspiring outer party) use nothing but iMessage, iPhones, and everything else Apple. Just look at that Huawei frontman's daughter arrested in Canada everything that was seized by police was Apple not a single Chinese electronic device in sight (because they know exactly what their own products are only good for).
Truly amazes me that modern liberals care more about iPhone sales and the Communist Chinese Party than they do about the security of the United States. Sick people.
The reason is because there are millions outside of China who use and prefer it to communicate with family and friends in China.
Can Trump decide which applications the app store has regardless of the country? When does this guy leave office? He has done enough damage already.