“The China market was a drag on growth in Apple’s latest quarter, rather than a boost,” John Shinal reports for USA Today. “Apple’s sales in China fell 14% during the most recent quarter, even while they climbed 15% during the first nine months of the fiscal year. The reversal of Apple’s sales momentum in China came after China’s state-run media ran critical stories about the company’s warranty policy in that country, the terms of which were less consumer-friendly than the one offered to consumers in the Americas.
“After government officials made critical comments of Apple in those stories, Apple CEO Tim Cook issued a public apology about the warranty policy,” Shinal reports. “Will that apology make a difference to Apple’s fortunes in China? The answer is hard to predict.”
“Given Google’s track record in China, Cook may want to re-evaluate his company’s financial investment there if sales continue to fall in the second half of this year,” Shinal reports. “Whether he succeeds is something we won’t know until January, after Apple reports a full quarter of results that include sales of its new phones.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Lynn Weiler” for the heads up.]