The latte-sipping young professionals of Beijing, who flocked to buy new iPhones only two years ago, today express mixed feelings about whether they’ll stick with Apple in the future or opt instead for the larger Android-powered Samsung Galaxy smartphone, which is rapidly gaining popularity out there. Apple released the new iPhone 5C in China and the U.S. at same time, but it has already been mocked as “not attractive.” One theory on Apple’s diminished mystique in China is that Steve Jobs was revered there as a creative genius, so perhaps the Apple craze has passed away along with its creator. By the end of 2013, roughly 500 million people in China are expected to have smartphones, but for Apple to find long-term success in China, it needs not only to retain existing customers, but also to entice new smartphone shoppers—people lower down the income ladder.
Source: Bloomberg / Businessweek / Reuters