Tim Cook on Apple lowering iPhone prices in China: “We’ll see how that works out for us”

Apple CEO Tim Cook sat down for an interview with NPR on Monday and discussed the ongoing trade tensions between the US and China, while also addressing lowered iPhone prices across Greater China.

When asked about reducing iPhone prices in China to better reflect US pricing models, Cook replied with a simple “We’ll see how that works out for us”.

The United States and China have until March 1 to reach an agreement regarding intellectual property rights among various other issues before the Trump administration implements potentially detrimental 25% import tariffs — a killer uptick from the current 10%. Any response from China would most definitely punish Apple should no deal be reached.

Cook spoke of current negotiations by highlighting ongoing communication between the two countries, as the CEO is set to travel to Beijing this week for a meeting with local officials.

Both sides are talking and I always think that is always the essential thing to reaching an agreement. It’s in both parties’ best interests to come together.

When asked about the iPhone price cuts, Cook blamed sales slowdowns on a devalued yuan, saying,

Because the local currency devalued over the course of the year, our prices did go up there, more so than did in regions that are U.S. dollar denominated.

And in response to his acknowledgement Apple cut prices to fall back in line with how they were before the currency devaluation, Cook simply said,

We’ll see how that works out for us.

The CEO also took time to speak about Apple’s recent Health partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs, allowing vets to view their medical history digitally.

This is part of our overall effort to really empower the patient. We can’t wait to serve … a population of folks that we really have great reverence for.

Cook’s most recent interview proceeding Monday’s NPR talk was with CNBC from early January, when the CEO teased a new service from the company coming in 2019, while also declaring health to be Apple’s ‘greatest contribution to mankind’.

[“source=9to5mac”]