If Trump’s executive order forces Apple to pull WeChat from all iOS app stores, including the one in China, then iPhone shipments will take a dive, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
(Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) President Trump’s ban on the messaging app WeChat could spell doom for Apple’s iPhone sales in China, according to noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo, who’s best known for predicting new iPhone features, gave his take on the impending ban in a research note seen by MacRumors. In a worst case scenario, Trump’s executive order could force Apple to pull WeChat across the iOS app store globally, causing worldwide iPhone shipments to fall by 25 to 30 percent. “Since WeChat is very critical to Chinese users, integrating communications, payments, e-Commerce, social software, news reading, and productivity functions, we believe that the move will tank iPhone shipments in the Chinese market,” Kuo reportedly wrote in the note. SEE ALSO: Trump’s WeChat Ban Risks Cratering Apple’s iPhone Business in China The ban could also hit consumer demand across the Apple ecosystem. Kuo is predicting a 15 to 25 percent decline on global shipments for other products, including the AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch and Macs.
