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Apple signaled the end of an era this week when Tim Cook announced he would vacate the CEO chair effective September 1.
Under Cook, Apple grew to be one of the top three tech companies in terms of market valuation, and the iPhone – introduced nearly 20 years ago by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs – became an essential gadget for 1.5 billion people around the world.
Cook’s relationship with China deserves special mention as part of his legacy.
His "charm offensives” during visits to China were routinely covered by SCMP, the latest being only last month. “I’d like to see if the new CEO can charm Chinese consumers as well as government ministers, just as Tim Cook has,” said Bryan Ma, vice-president of client devices research at IDC.
During Cook’s most recent trip to China, the 65-year-old executive appeared at an Apple Store in the southwestern city of Chengdu, where he engaged with celebrities and customers, according to clips circulated on social media.
Cook’s successor, John Ternus, currently senior vice-president of hardware engineering, will take over amid growing headwinds in China, Apple’s third biggest market. Ternus has big shoes to fill but he may not be able to make any drastic changes, as Cook is staying on as executive chairman.
Last year, Apple’s net sales in what it classifies as Greater China – mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan – declined 4 per cent year on year to US$64.4 billion, following an 8 per cent drop in 2024.
Over the past few years, China’s smartphone market has developed into a “completely separate” ecosystem across hardware, solutions and services, said Nicole Peng, vice-president of consumer research at Omdia.
Ironically, Cook played a significant role in that with his strategy to “bet the farm” on China. As early as 1998 – as Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide operations – he began shifting the company’s manufacturing base to the country.
In the process, Apple raised the Chinese bar for quality and created the current ecosystem that has allowed fierce rivals like Huawei to compete against Apple.
“[Huawei is] rolling out some really good premium products, including foldable smartphones in particular, and that’s where Apple needs to fight back with its rumoured foldable that is [supposedly] coming out later this year,” said IDC’s Ma.
In the first quarter Huawei claimed the top spot in China’s smartphone market with its highest share in five years, according to Counterpoint Research. That came after Huawei edged out Apple as No 1 in China in 2025.
Amid US-China geopolitical tensions and Trump administration tariffs, Apple accelerated its supply chain diversification last year, with most iPhones sold in the US manufactured in India, according to Counterpoint Research.
“I think Apple, as well as a lot of their competitors, has done a good job setting up those other supply chains,” said Ma. “But at the end of the day, it’s difficult to match the efficiency and the skill that exists in China. So I do think that Apple is still going to be reliant on China for its supply chain in the coming years.”
That may be the biggest challenge facing the incoming CEO. #A Glance of China 行摄中国 #Expats in China #Gadgets
https://www.scmp.com/tech..
