Apple Cuts China App Store Fee to 25% as iPhone Sales Surge 23%
iPhone sales in China jumped 23% while the local market fell 4% after Apple cut App Store commission from 30% to 25% under regulatory pressure. Amazon is developing a new smartphone codenamed Transformer and Alphabet is testing a native Gemini Mac app, intensifying competition in hardware and AI.
1. China App Store Commission Reduction
Apple cut its App Store commission in China from 30% to 25% after regulatory pressure, seeking to comply with new rules and retain developer support.
2. iPhone Sales Performance in China
iPhone shipments rose 23% at the start of 2026 even as the overall Chinese smartphone market declined 4%, highlighting strong consumer demand for Apple devices.
3. Amazon’s Smartphone Initiative
Amazon’s Devices and Services unit is developing a new smartphone codenamed Transformer with Alexa integration, marking its first major handset project since the 2014 Fire Phone failure.
4. Google’s Gemini Mac App Development
Alphabet is testing a native Gemini app for Mac that provides core AI features outside the browser, intensifying competitive pressures on Apple’s macOS AI offerings.