iPhones banned in Chinese government: WSJ

Apple is facing some fire, as the government of the country has banned the use of iPhones in the Chinese government domain and office employees, reports WSJ.

According to the report, China has ordered officials at central government agencies to not bring iPhones into the office or use them for work. However, it’s currently unclear the extent of such restrictions that China has planned for iPhone devices. Another source reveals that such a ban on iPhones could expand to other Chinese companies and government-backed agencies.

Industry analyst suggests that such a ban could impact iPhone sales by up to 5% in the country. That’s not it, a wider ban on Apple could be a big hit for the iPhone maker if it can’t sell new devices to general Chinese consumers

Market decline:

Following these reports, Apple shares fell 2.9% Thursday in New York, following a 3.6% decline on Wednesday — their biggest single-day drop since Aug. 4. European chipmakers, including Apple supplier STMicroelectronics NV, also declined on Thursday.

Apple China:

iPhones are the top-selling premium devices in China and the company collects a high revenue share from the country. But such blocks could mishap its plans and strategy to launch future models.

What’s more important is that Huawei also brought back its new Mate 60 series, which is growing as a made-in-China device. People are rushing to stores to buy a new Huawei device to show their patriotism and support for the Chinese brand. The return of Huawei is also being seen as a major threat to iPhone sales in the country.