Apple Drops iPhone 7 (PRODUCT)RED Branding in China

Wednesday March 22, 2017 4:36 AM PDT by Tim Hardwick
Yesterday, Apple announced a special edition (PRODUCT)RED iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, to go with its current (PRODUCT)RED line-up that Apple promotes as a way for customers to support HIV/AIDS charity (RED).

The red handset, which launches on Friday, is the first time Apple has included its flagship phone in the promotional line-up, but the PRODUCT(RED) iPhone branding does not apply across all regions.

Apple's Taiwan website

As noted by TechCrunch, internet users have spotted that the (PRODUCT)RED branding is missing on the regional China website, but all other details including launch date and time remain identical, indicating that Apple is promoting the red iPhone in the country simply as an additional colorway.

Apple's China website

Sex remains a controversial issue in China, where traditional values frequently clash with more liberal Western attitudes as the country's economic boom increasingly opens it to outside influence. In the past, AIDS and HIV have been characterized in China as a consequence of contact with the West, but recent legislation has been more progressive and a lot more successful in treating the AIDS/HIV problem in the country.

Despite the gradual change in attitudes, it's likely Apple took the decision to drop the (PRODUCT)RED affiliation in order to avoid possible tension with the Chinese government, following recent incidents in which the company has fallen foul of China's restrictive internet policies.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Related Roundup: iPhone 7
Tag: (PRODUCT)RED
Buyer's Guide: iPhone 8 (Caution)
44 comments


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Chicane-UK
16 months ago
I guess taking moral standpoints on certain issues only goes so far when it stands to affect your sales..
Rating: 26 Votes
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Cineplex
16 months ago
Tim!?!? Where is your super progressive stance now? Oh that's right...can't risk upsetting the Chinese buyers by admitting AIDS exists! I'm sure their government has told them AIDS isn't real just like LGBT isn't real. Funny how Tim can drop his values at the drop of the hat for some money. I could respect the guy if he held to his guns, but no. I bet if you asked Tim about Tianamen Square while he was in China he'd echo the governments opinion of it being western propaganda made on a Hollywood set. Sad when Apple is afraid and unwilling to help people because it might affect sales. Boooooo!
Rating: 15 Votes
Avatar
szw-mapple fan
16 months ago

I guess taking moral standpoints on certain issues only goes so far when it stands to affect your sales..

Tim!?!? Where is your super progressive stance now? Oh that's right...can't risk upsetting the Chinese buyers by admitting AIDS exists! I'm sure their government has told them AIDS isn't real just like LGBT isn't real. Funny how Tim can drop his values at the drop of the hat for some money. I could respect the guy if he held to his guns, but no. I bet if you asked Tim about Tianamen Square while he was in China he'd echo the governments opinion of it being western propaganda made on a Hollywood set. Sad when Apple is afraid and unwilling to help people because it might affect sales. Boooooo!

I wonder if Apple is still making the donation to the charity on all sales of the RED device, regardless of branding.


Product red has been promoted on Apple's Chinese website before via the Red iPods and accessories and such, but it's now against the law ('http://www.lawinfochina.com/display.aspx?lib=law&id=21963') in China for a foreign NGO to promote their cause via a profit-earning organization. If Apple wants to sell the red color in mainland China, they simply can't include the charitable donation as a part of their product.
Rating: 14 Votes
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levitynyc
16 months ago
Changing your moral policies based on the almighty dollar is American as apple pie and baseball.
Rating: 14 Votes
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BruiserB
16 months ago
I wonder if Apple is still making the donation to the charity on all sales of the RED device, regardless of branding.
Rating: 9 Votes
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satchmo
16 months ago

Product red has been promoted on Apple's Chinese website before via the Red iPods and accessories and such, but it's now against the law ('http://www.lawinfochina.com/display.aspx?lib=law&id=21963') in China for a foreign NGO to promote their cause via a profit-earning organization. If Apple wants to sell the red color in mainland China, they simply can't include the charitable donation as a part of their product.


If this is the case, why sell this at all in China?

Are proceeds of sales in China of this red iPhone still going to Project Red if it's not even branded as such?

Proceeds aside, awareness and education is also part of the equation.
Rating: 4 Votes
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HappyDude20
16 months ago
Tim Cook sucks.
Rating: 3 Votes
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motorazr
16 months ago
Meh.

I think the product red part was an excuse for the rest of the world; the red phone is actually trying to regain some Chinese market share, hence the bright silver apple logo on the bright red phone; reminds me of the gold and red Apple Watch on a more affordable level.
Rating: 2 Votes
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rtomyj
16 months ago
I wonder if the insightful people of macrumors will understand that China isn't America. That some nations are more reserved and don't openly talk about some things. That an American company doesn't ave much pull in foreign politics. That one company isn't run by one man and his morals.

I guess taking moral standpoints on certain issues only goes so far when it stands to affect your sales..


Changing your moral policies based on the almighty dollar is American as apple pie and baseball.


Tim!?!? Where is your super progressive stance now? Oh that's right...can't risk upsetting the Chinese buyers by admitting AIDS exists! I'm sure their government has told them AIDS isn't real just like LGBT isn't real. Funny how Tim can drop his values at the drop of the hat for some money. I could respect the guy if he held to his guns, but no. I bet if you asked Tim about Tianamen Square while he was in China he'd echo the governments opinion of it being western propaganda made on a Hollywood set. Sad when Apple is afraid and unwilling to help people because it might affect sales. Boooooo!


Orrr we can have ignorance. Yay!
Rating: 2 Votes
Avatar
cambookpro
16 months ago
This is a bit of a shame - considering the cultural significance of red in China, it almost the Product Red branding was tacked on as an excuse for creating one. May be a bit extreme, but I can't help being cynical.

If you go on the Store page on the Chinese site, the photo of the phone is the reverse of most other online stores - the front of the phone is most prominent, presumably to hide the Product Red branding on the reverse of the phone...
Rating: 2 Votes
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