Apple’s live “Hi, Speed” event stream of the iPhone 12 unveiling last Tuesday wasn’t carried by Chinese top social media and video platforms despite tremendous consumer interest.
Apple last week announced iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, introducing a powerful 5G experience and advanced technologies that push the boundaries of innovation. iPhone 12 Pro models feature a new design and edge-to-edge Super Retina XDR displays, the largest ever on iPhone, protected by the all-new Ceramic Shield front cover, which provides the biggest jump in durability ever on iPhone. The Apple-designed A14 Bionic chip, the fastest chip in a smartphone, powers impressive computational photography features including the all-new Apple ProRAW for more creative control in photos, and enables the first end-to-end Dolby Vision video experience, up to 60 fps. The reimagined pro camera systems include an expansive Ultra Wide camera, a Telephoto camera with an even longer focal length on iPhone 12 Pro Max, and new Wide cameras to capture beautiful professional-quality images and video in bright and low-light environments. iPhone 12 Pro models also introduce a new LiDAR Scanner for immersive augmented reality (AR) experiences and MagSafe, which offers high-powered wireless charging and an all-new ecosystem of accessories that easily attach to iPhone.
Apple also unveiled the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini with 5G technology, ushering in a new era for the world’s best smartphone. The newly designed iPhone 12 models feature expansive edge-to-edge Super Retina XDR displays for a brighter, more immersive viewing experience, and a new Ceramic Shield front cover, providing the biggest jump in durability ever on iPhone. The Apple-designed A14 Bionic, the fastest chip in a smartphone, powers every experience on iPhone 12, and coupled with an advanced dual-camera system, delivers meaningful new computational photography features and the highest quality video in a smartphone. iPhone 12 models are also MagSafe compatible.
In an unprecedented move, Tencent Video, Weibo, iQiyi and Bilibili canceled their original plans to carry the livestream, though Apple fans could watch it directly on the company’s website… Weibo is a Chinese microblogging site often compared to Twitter, even though the Chinese government maintains strict control over what appears on any China-based media or internet site.
The cancellation comes at a time of tense geopolitical relations between Washington and Beijing, and it underscores the challenges Apple faces in making further inroads in the crucial mainland China market.
This week’s cancellation marks the first time that China’s video platforms have jointly canceled an iPhone livestream since they began airing them several years ago. The events generate tremendous interest in China, which is Apple’s third largest market by sales, and the word “iPhone 12” has been a trending topic on Weibo.
MacDailyNews Take: When social media and other media platforms conspire to try to hide something, it only heightens interest. Apple’s iPhone 12 family will benefit from even more intense interest that due to the Streisand effect induced by Chinese censorship.