Apple caters to China with crop of targeted features

Élyse Betters | Jun 12 2012 - 7:09 am PT

Apple unveiled a host of China-targeted features for its operating systems during the opening keynote of the Worldwide Developers Conference yesterday, but the full suite of additions are now spotlighted on Apple’s website.

A few of the earmarks include integration with China’s Twitter-alternative Sina Weibo, Google-competitor Baidu, and YouTube-like Youku and Tudou. Communicating also got easier with improved input for emoticons and Chinese pinyin, and even Siri can now fully communicate in Chinese.

According to The Wall Street Journal:

Some of the new features are now outlined on Apple’s website as part of the new Mountain Lion operating system. They address a number of long-standing issues for Chinese users, who can’t easily take advantage of Apple products’ existing integration with Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Google search because of government Web filtering and who previously had to use third-party apps or browsers to access Chinese Internet services. […]

Apple’s announcement of the new features shows how the Cupertino-based maker of iPads and iPhones is rushing to embrace China, now the company’s largest market outside of the U.S., after previously neglecting it.

The world’s largest mobile market by subscribers and second-largest PC market by unit shipments, China had to wait almost two and a half years, until 2009, before getting its first official iPhone launch. Apple didn’t start accepting payments in Chinese yuan for the App Store until last November.

Chief Executive Tim Cook noted Apple’s tremendous growth in China during April’s quarterly earnings call. The Cupertino, Calif.-based Company is continuing to expand its presence in the country with the addition of Apple Stores in Shenzhen and Chengdu.

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