In an unexpected move, Apple CEO Tim Cook paid a visit to China this week, to engage with gamers in Chengdu and addressing the challenges of dwindling phone sales in the company’s largest market.
In a Weibo post on Monday evening, Cook revealed that he had stopped by Apple’s Taikoo Li store in Chengdu and spent time with young players of the “Honour of Kings” game.
Chinese tech giant Tencent’s online battle arena game has gained a worldwide following, solidifying its place among the most-played mobile games globally.
‘The energy tonight was off the charts!’ he wrote.
‘Honour of Kings,’ he said, ‘started here in Chengdu and is now a global phenomenon on the App Store.’
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‘The game sets a new bar. It is so popular in China and around the world,’ he told the state-run China Daily. ‘You can see that people are so passionate about the game and so excited. It’s great to see.’
Since its inception in China in 1993, the US tech giant Apple has expanded its footprint and become a key supplier of smartphones, laptops, and consumer electronics in the country.
Cook, during his March visit to Beijing, described the relationship between his company and China as “symbiotic.”
Despite its previous dominance, Apple’s foothold in the country has weakened in recent years, with sales taking a hit due to production constraints caused by China’s zero-Covid policy last year.
The company’s supply chain is facing challenges due to the impact of US export controls on high-tech components.
Bloomberg’s recent report, citing market analysts, indicates a substantial drop in sales of the new iPhone 15 in China compared to its predecessors.
They cited a downturn in consumption in the world’s second-largest economy, as well as heightened competition from local players such as Huawei.