Beijing bars iPhone 6, says it’s too similar to local phone

Article By : EE Times

China’s enormous domestic market is considered a key for Apple, but the tech giant's iPhone faces stiff competition from Chinese domestic brands.

Apple Inc. is appealing a ruling by a Beijing administrative bureau that would bar sales of the iPhone 6 in the city due to alleged patent violation, according to multiple published reports.

The Beijing Intellectual Property Bureau issued a ruling last month finding that the exterior design of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus is too similar to a phone marketed by Chinese firm Shenzhen Baili.

Apple said in a statement that the administrative order has been stayed pending review by a Beijing court. The iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone SE models are still for sale in China pending the review, Apple said.

Several analysts have said they do not expect any financial impact on Apple from the ruling, which affects only the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus and only applies to sales in the city of Beijing.

China’s enormous domestic market is considered a key for Apple. The iPhone faces stiff competition from Chinese domestic brands. In the fiscal second quarter, Apple’s sales in the Greater China region were down 26% compared with the second quarter of last year.