On September 6th, the Science and Technology Innovation Board Daily reported that the WeChat iOS system received an update this afternoon, with the latest version being 8.0.51. The updated information shows that "some known issues have been fixed".
On the evening of September 2nd, there were rumors that "iPhone 16 may not support WeChat", and once the iPhone is upgraded to iOS 18.2 system, it will not be able to use WeChat. The related topic has become a hot topic on Weibo.
Regarding this information, previously informed sources also denied it to reporters from the Science and Technology Innovation Board Daily.
At the same time, Apple's technical advisor in China also stated at the time that the third party's discussion on whether WeChat can be used again on iOS systems or Apple devices, including whether WeChat can continue to be listed and downloaded on the Apple App Store, requires mutual communication and discussion between Apple and Tencent to determine the future situation.
The technical consultant mentioned that listing software on the Apple Store may require developers to pay a certain fee to Apple before it can be listed or downloaded. APP developers can list software on the Apple App Store, and once the software reaches a certain download volume, as long as a user downloads the software once, the developer will have to pay a certain fee to Apple. He said that currently, Apple is actively communicating with Tencent to confirm whether Tencent will continue to provide software download rebates to the Apple App Store in the future.
This rumor can be traced back to the previous "Apple Tax" on WeChat mini games. At its Q2 earnings conference, Tencent publicly admitted for the first time that it is in talks with Apple regarding the revenue sharing of WeChat mini games.
In the current iOS ecosystem, the internal purchase income generated by small games, including WeChat and Tiktok, is not connected to Apple's own payment channel as when downloading game applications in the App Store. The rapidly developing small game market in China is something that Apple cannot ignore.
Earlier, there was news in the market that Apple had increased pressure on Chinese technology giants such as Tencent and ByteDance to stop the practice of in app creators evading Apple's 30% cut.
It is worth noting that Apple is facing a similar game with other companies or regions globally regarding the Apple tax issue.
The game of interests between WeChat and Apple can no longer be ignored. A source familiar with the matter told reporters from the Science and Technology Innovation Board Daily that negotiations between WeChat and Apple regarding the Apple tax are still ongoing and have not yet been "finalized".
But this version update may have given more time for negotiations between both parties.
On the other hand, China is an important consumer market for Apple, but the latest financial report shows that Apple's revenue in Greater China has fallen by 6.5% year-on-year to $14.73 billion, making it the only region in Apple's market geography to experience a decline.
Apple is about to release a series of new products, including the iPhone 16, next Monday. At this critical juncture of the new product release, Apple also needs to consider the emotions of Chinese consumers. Now it seems that consumers may not need to worry, as the iPhone 16 can no longer use WeChat.