Telecom Lead Asia: Apple chief executive Tim Cook has
conducted discussions with senior government officials in China to come out of
the current issues that affect the company’s business potential in the world’s
largest mobile market. These issues include a contested iPad trademark,
treatment of local labor, among other things.
Apple has only five stores although it also retails through more than 100 resellers.
China is Apple’s second-biggest market overall, but Apple has been losing
ground to Samsung in smartphones and yet to launch the latest version of its
iPad in China.
In Q4 2011, Apple captured three quarters of China’s tablet PC market, while
its iPhone ranked fifth in the country’s smartphone sector.
“Tim is in China meeting with government officials. China is very
important to us and we look forward to even greater investment and growth
there,” said Carolyn Wu, China spokeswoman for the maker of iPhones, iPads
and iPods.
Apple has tie-ups with China Telecom and China Unicom to sell its iPhone, with
the only other Chinese carrier, China Mobile, also looking to clinch a deal.
Apple is waging a legal battle with a Chinese firm over the local rights to the
iPad trademark, according to media reports. The long-running dispute with
Proview threatens to disrupt iPad sales.
