O'Grady's PowerPage

Tag: China

  • Apple offers discounts for some iPhone models, other products for Chinese lunar new year

    Apple offers discounts for some iPhone models, other products for Chinese lunar new year

    If you’re over in China, you’re going to like this.

    Following reports of somewhat slowing sales in the Chinese marketplace, Apple has begun offering discounts of up to 1,000 yuan ($144) on some products in China in anticipation of a holiday shopping rush and competitive pricing from local vendors.

    According to the South China Morning Post, Apple’s mainland China website and official stores have begun offering limited-time discounts on products including the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, and some MacBook, iPad, Apple Watch, and AirPod models. The discounts will take effect between January 25 and January 27.

    The sale follows reports that while Apple led the Chinese smartphone market in Q4 2025 with a 22 percent share, thanks to strong iPhone 17 sales, sales numbers have been falling month after month. The promotions, in turn, are aimed at countering the decline.

    China’s smartphone market shrank 1.6 percent year on year in Q4 2025, while full-year shipments declined 0.6 percent. Counterpoint analysts have put the decline down to weak demand amid rising prices and global memory shortages.

    A series of Chinese government policies appears to have played a role as well. Under government subsidies, consumers of electronics get a 15 percent refund of products that are priced under 6,000 yuan ($820). Apple has partly missed out on the program given that its iPhone Pro models exceed the price cutoff point.

    If you’ve seen these discounts, please let us know in the comments.

    Via MacRumors and the South China Morning Post

  • Apple to avoid steep U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports until mid-2027

    Apple to avoid steep U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports until mid-2027

    Apple and other U.S. technology companies may get a reprieve from some of the higher tariffs on Chinese components until 2027.

    Per AppleInsider and CNBC, a Federal Register filing from last Tuesday indicated that the United States will hold off on raising its new tariff on Chinese semiconductor imports until June 2027. This, in turn, could delay the financial hit on Apple’s component sourching efforts for Macs, iPhones, and other products.

    According to the filing, the Trump Administration confirmed it will take action against China under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, and the response will be a tariff on semiconductors. The filing, in turn, will be implemented immediately, but the administration is setting the additional tariff rate at zero. Instead, the Trump Administration plans to increase the tariff level on June 23, 2027, effectively delaying the impact.

    The administration declined to state what the percentage would be, but said it will be announced at least 30 days ahead of the scheduled increase.

    The decision to hold off on raising the tariff cost will be helpful to many manufacturers. Aside from avoiding extra tariffs on current and near-future imports, it also buys companies time to arrange sourcing from other countries not affected by the tariff situation.

    Given that Apple still sources its A-series and M-series Apple Silicon chips from TSMC in Taiwan, the components are still subject to a 20 percent reciprocal tariff, but not on tariffs specifically targeting China.

    Apple was previously safe from the threat of a 100% percent semiconductor import tariff. It escaped that tariff because in August, it pledged to invest $100 billion in U.S. manufacturing efforts.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider, Federal Register, and CNBC

  • Apple releases security updates for iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPad 7, and Apple TV HD devices

    Apple releases security updates for iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPad 7, and Apple TV HD devices

    If you have an older iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV, this could come in handy.

    Apple has released security updates for its iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPad 7, and Apple TV HD devices.

    While the company usually reserves its attention on releases for newer devices, it sometimes releases patches for older hardware as well.

    On Monday, Apple issued a series of smaller builds intended for a selection of devices, according to IsTheAppleStoreDown.com. The updates are very minor, and only partly apply to the current 26.2 generation of software.

    There were two new firmware releases, each covering different categories of hardware.

    The technical description of the updates, as noted by AppleInsider:

    “The first, labeled by the site as “iOS 26.2,” is build 23K54. This is, in reality, a tvOS 26.2 update with the same build as the one officially released on December 12.

    However, the build is identified as specifically for the fourth-generation Apple TV, with the hardware identifier AppleTV5,3. It’s also intended for “AudioAccessory5,1,” better known as the HomePod.

    The second firmware release was for iOS 18.7.3, build 22H217. Again, this build number already exists for both iOS and iPadOS 18.7.3, and applies to specific hardware models in the iPad and iPhone ranges.

    On iPad, it is meant for the iPad 7 in both Wi-Fi only and cellular forms. For iPhone, it is intended for the iPhone XR, the iPhone XS, and the iPhone XS Max in China.”

    There are currently no release notes for these updates, so the specific content of each fix is unknown. However, Apple sometimes issues patches to remedy hardware-specific issues that don’t affect other models.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and IsTheAppleStoreDown.com

  • Rumor: Apple may use Intel to help produce lower-end M7 chips in the United States beginning in 2027

    Rumor: Apple may use Intel to help produce lower-end M7 chips in the United States beginning in 2027

    After years of strife, Intel could see its chip foundries once again making Apple chips as soon as 2027.

    Per AppleInsider and industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the lower-end M7 Apple Silicon chip could be produced in the United States come 2027.

    Until now, all M-series chips used in Macs and iPads have been built by TSMC at its factories in China and elsewhere. Kuo’s post suggests that Apple will have TSMC build its entry-level M-series chips at its U.S.-based factories from 2027. The rest of Apple’s chips will continue to be provided by TSMC. The post also noted that Apple has already been discussing its manufacturing technologies and their suitability for M-series production.

    The report goes on to say that simulation and research projects have so far proven successful. Apple is now reportedly waiting for Intel to get its technological ducks in a row to use its 18AP node around the middle of 2027.

    It’s thought that Intel-built M7 chips could likely be used in iPads and MacBooks in roughly two years. Kuo’s report also notes that the upper end of the line, such as the Pro and Max chips, will stay with TSMC.

    The M7 chips are thought to remain based on the ARM architecture, as all M-series chips have been since their introduction. Intel, in turn, while producing them, will not use its x86 hardware that Apple famously transitioned away from in 2020.

    As for why Apple would want to have Intel manufacture its chips again, Kuo has posited two key reasons:

    The first is a continued effort by Apple to diversify its supply chain. Apple has sought to avoid a heavy reliance on single companies and Chinese factories in particular since the COVID-19 pandemic caused mayhem in its supply chain. By adding Intel as a source of Mac and iPad chips, the company diversifies its production.

    The second reason is political, wherein Apple sees using Intel’s U.S.-based factories as a way to appease United States President Donald Trump. Trump has long sought to push companies to bring manufacturing back to the States, something Apple has struggled to do.

    Appeasing the Trump administration could be seen as a way to earn preferential treatment, especially in the wake of tariffs, which have caused economic uncertainty around global manufacturing.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and @mingchikuo

  • Apple CEO Tim Cook pledges company support for Tai Po fire relief

    Apple CEO Tim Cook pledges company support for Tai Po fire relief

    In the wake of the tragic Tai Po fire in Hong Kong, Apple has announced that it will be donating funds to help reflief efforts.

    Last Wednesday, a large housing complex in Hong Kong caught fire, resulting in at least 128 victims, with more than 200 people still missing.

    This was the deadliest fire in Hong Kong in decades, and it appears to have been caused by flammable construction netting that had been used during renovation work around the building.

    Per 9to5Mac, Apple CEO Tim Cook posted the following on X on Friday, citing the company’s donations to help those affected by Hurricane Melissa.

    Apple’s internal Employee Giving program encourages staff to support causes through donations and volunteer work, with the company matching contributions. To date, Apple has raised more than $880 million towards assorted causes.

    If you’d like to contribute directly to the ongoing Tai Po relief campaign, you can also visit the Red Cross link listed below.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via 9to5Mac, @tim_cook, and redcross.org