Days after Tim Cook confirmed that Apple Vision Pro will debut in China later this year, a new report from The Information surfaced online suggesting Apple is making a key deal with Tencent.
Tencent is one of the largest multimedia corporations globally, and its services and apps are widely used in China. While Tencent is well-known for WeChat, a video-streaming service, it also owns Tencent Pictures, Weibo, QQ, WeBank, and video games, including PUBG and Honor of Kings.
The report also says: “Without Tencent’s contribution, Apple would have faced a greater challenge in marketing the Vision Pro in China,” suggesting Apple’s move is “critical” for the success of Vision Pro in China.
Additionally, the report mentions Apple is “pursuing” strategies to provide Apple TV+ and other content offerings in China. This is a significant step for Apple since it needs local collaborations with large media businesses to introduce the Apple Vision Pro more successfully in China.
Although it offers services similar to Disney+ in the US, many Western streaming apps aren’t accessible in China.
According to The Information, Apple is reportedly stepping up its efforts to introduce its own subscription services, such as Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade, in China. Apple would “need to find a local partner to help run” the services and ensure they complied with China’s censorship regulations.
The report also says that a “senior China-based Apple leader told colleagues last year the company was pursuing such an arrangement, but it isn’t clear how close it got to a deal.”
Notably, this news comes when Tim Cook is in China this month, interacting with some of the leading personalities. And shortly after Tim Cook visited Shanghai to inaugurate the Apple Jing’an shop and meet local developers, rumors about Tencent bringing its app to visions surfaced online.