In a new interview published by the Chinese edition of Bloomberg Businessweek, Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed that his company keeps the Chinese consumers’ tastes in mind during the design process. For example, gold is a popular color among Chinese consumers, and that fact influenced the gold iPhone, which debuted with the 5s in 2013:
“The decision to offer a gold iPhone last year reflects in part the popularity of that color among Chinese users, he added. Greater China, which includes Taiwan and Hong Kong, is now Apple’s second-largest market and has become a battleground for the company as it vies with Samsung Electronics Co. and Xiaomi Corp. for smartphone supremacy.”
Our take on the news…
China is Apple’s second-biggest market, so this is not a surprise. Expect the country’s consumers to continue to have an influence over Ive and co. for the foreseeable future.
