on Tuesday is expected to unveil a new iPhone 15 lineup as questions about market access in China and competition hang over the world’s most valuable listed company.
Apple will also have to grapple with competition from Huawei Technologies, which was its top rival in China’s premium smartphone market until U.S. export controls ruined Huawei’s phone business in 2019. Last week, Huawei started selling the Mate 60 Pro, a high-end phone that uses Chinese-made chips that some U.S. lawmakers believe were manufactured in violation of U.S. trade curbs.
Apple was forced into the change by European regulations, but analysts believe that the company will position the change as an upgrade, taking advantage of faster data speeds that can transfer high-quality videos made with iPhones. “Just like we saw people who aren’t Ultra athletes buy the Apple Watch Ultra, we’re going to see a bunch of people buy this even if they aren’t camera or photography enthusiasts, just because they like the latest and greatest,” said Ben Bajarin, chief executive and principal analyst of Creative Strategies. “That by itself creates that buzz and momentum and allure to the top end.”