The essential social media review to know and understand the world top market. #FrenchinChina is a weekly column from FRED & FARID agency reviewing Chinese social networks to identify big social trends. It is the essential tool to understand and love today’s China.
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Apple is investigating 'swelling' iPhone 8 batteries
The HotBrand of the week is Apple and generated 15 million views on social media and more than 10 000 comments. A fresh case of Apple’s new iPhone popping open due to a swollen battery has been reported in China. On its website on Thursday, state-backed Thepaper.cn cited an iPhone buyer, Mr. Liu, as saying his newly purchased iPhone 8 Plus arrived cracked open on October 5. There was no sign of scorching or an explosion.
Liu told the news website he had bought the handset through online marketplace JD.com.He said he did not pay the new device and returned it to the seller. Pictures taken by Liu and displayed on ThePaper’s website showed an iPhone 8 plus split open along the side featuring the sim card holding, with the phone’s internal parts visible. Until now, there’re almost 10 cases of same problem spread across Japan, Greece, Canada, China, and Taiwan. Photos shared on social media have shown the phone’s screens pushed away from their bodies. Some are of phones that have been used, while others show apparently new phones cracked open in their boxes.
Apple has confirmed it is investigating a handful of reports of iPhone 8 batteries that swell and separate the device’s case. There have also so far been no reports of scorching or explosions related to the new iPhone, which should calm worries of a catastrophic design flaw similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 meltdown. Though Chinese consumers are still willing to spend on iPhones with a difference,
However, the enthusiasm for iPhone is gradually going down in China. Even before the incident happened, the offering date of iPhone 8 on China was considered as the most silent Apple products offering date. Therefore, the reaction of Chinese netizens are more focusing on making jokes about the news.
Tourists fined $16,000 after chasing endangered animals in an SUV
On Oct. 4th, a group of seven tourists in two SUVs drove off a public road and into a reserve in Nagchu in northern Tibet. They saw a herd of Tibetan antelopes while driving along the road in Shenza county and drove after the animals for about a minute to take pictures. The topic generated 15 millions views and more than 50 000 comments on the Internet.
Two days later, a netizen posted images of two white vehicles pursuing running herds in a reserve on Weibo and reported it to the police. The post became viral and after 13 minutes, the photos of the two SUVs parked in Lhasa InterContinental Hotel were posted on Weibo. The police got the report and start to investigate to finally find the group a few days later. Each person was fined 10,000 RMB for breaking the Wild Animal Conservation Law and 5,000 yuan for breaking nature reserve regulations. In China, Tibetan antelopes are Class One Protected Species under China's national legislation.
In 2004, Ke Ke Xi Li, a Chinese movie telling the story of a volunteer patrol team's struggles to protect Tibetan antelope against poachers, stunned Chinese people. The movie is based on the true story of Jiesang Suodajie, who led the protection of Ke Ke Xi Li area and died in the fight with 18 antelope poachers with guns in 1994 January 18th.
The fast reaction of Chinese netizens and Lhasa police from posting the first picture to capturing the 7 tourists shows the power of Chinese social media and also people’s determination to against such immoral behaviour.
Hundreds queue to buy 'mooncakes' in an hospital canteen
Last week, a state-owned Hospital located in Guizhou, China went viral on social media, not because of the medical-related news but its canteen made mooncakes. Mooncake is a traditional pastry that Chinese people usually eat in Mid-Autumn Festival; However, mooncakes are high in sugar and fat, not ideal for anyone wanting to lose weight. One mooncake can have over 450 calories. Therefore, many foreign food & beverage brands - for example Starbucks - are trying to invent healthier mooncake with new flavours to occupy the market. And these healthier mooncakes are always became the most popular products on the market.
These hospital mooncakes became viral because of their high quality pastries. They were fresh, tasty but cheap. Hundreds of local people lined up outside the hospital for the mooncake everyday. The hospital earned millions of RMB sales.
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