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Iris Deng

Apple has formed a new data-processing venture in Shanghai, according to business registry information, as the US tech giant’s bid to bring artificial intelligence (AI) services to iPhones in mainland China remains in limbo.
Established on Friday with a registered capital of US$35 million, Apple Technology Development (Shanghai) will focus on software development, big data services, storage services and data processing, according to Chinese business registry platform Tianyancha.
Tejas Kirit Gala, who heads Apple’s multiple entities in the country, serves as the legal representative of the new firm, which is wholly owned by Apple South Asia, according to Tianyancha.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.
The Cupertino, California-based company’s latest move comes amid growing challenges in China, the world’s biggest smartphone market, where it faces increased competition from domestic handset vendors including a resurgent Huawei Technologies.
Apple is also awaiting regulatory approval to roll out its Apple Intelligence suite for iPhone users on the mainland.

Last month, Apple was said to be in early-stage talks with Tencent Holdings and ByteDance to introduce Apple Intelligence in China, where releasing generative AI products requires a local partner, according to a report by Reuters.
Earlier in December, Apple was said to be working with internet search giant Baidu on a local AI partnership. But disputes over access to user data and inaccurate responses to user queries contributed to slow progress, according to a report by US tech news outlet The Information.
Apple chief executive Tim Cook last year made at least three visits to China, where he met the company’s key mainland suppliers and industry regulators to discuss topics including data security and cloud services.
The company earlier this month started offering fresh price cuts on iPhones and other products via its China website and bricks-and-mortar Apple Stores to help boost sales on the mainland.
The mainland market share of foreign smartphone brands, mainly Apple, has plunged by nearly half from a year ago, according to data published last week by the state-run China Academy of Information and Communications Technology.
Foreign handset makers shipped 3.04 million units in China in November last year, down 47.3 per cent from 5.77 million in the same period in 2023, according to the academy, which did not name any specific brands.


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Apple

A view from inside the Apple Store at the IFC Mall in Shanghai’s Lujiazui financial district. Photo: Shutterstock

Apple in October 2024 released the first set of its Apple Intelligence features across iPhones, iPads, and Macs used outside China. Photo: Shutterstock

Apple’s pricey iPhones out of China’s new subsidy scheme as ceiling capped at US$818

China’s new subsidy scheme puts Apple and other foreign premium smartphone vendors at a disadvantage against domestic rivals. Photo: Shutterstock

Models under the iPhone 16 series on display at an Apple Store in Shanghai. Photo: Shutterstock

Shoppers seen at Huawei Technologies’ flagship store in Beijing. Photo: Reuters

Apple offers fresh price cuts on iPhones in China as Huawei competition heats up

Apple’s latest sales promotion in China, covering iPhones and other products, will also be available at its bricks-and-mortar stores on the mainland. Photo: Shutterstock

Apple’s premium iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models will be offered at a 500-yuan discount in a promotion that runs from January 4 to 7. Photo: Shutterstock

A pedestrian walks by an advertisement promoting Tmall’s Singles’ Day shopping promotion on October 17, 2024 in Shanghai. Photo: VCG via Getty Images

Apple in talks with Tencent, ByteDance to bring AI to iPhones in China, report says

Apple has faced challenges in launching Apple Intelligence on its iPhones in mainland China owing to the country’s strict regulation of the technology. Photo: AP

Apple CEO Tim Cook attends the China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing on November 25. Photo: Weibo/ 玉渊谭天

Apple continues AI roll-out to iPhones with customised emojis amid holiday shopping season

The new iPhone 16 is displayed during an announcement of new products at Apple headquarters on September 9 in Cupertino, California. Photo: AP

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The Shanghai unit of Apple will focus on software development, big data services, storage services and data processing


The Shanghai unit of Apple will focus on software development, big data services, storage services and data processing.
