&w=3840&q=100)
Trump tariffs may push US iPhone users towards repair, instead of replace their old devices
US President Donald Trump and Apple CEO Tim Cook tour the Flextronics computer manufacturing facility where Apple's Mac Pros are assembled in Austin, Texas. Amid the tariff war with China, Trump wants Apple to manufacture its iPhones in the US. File image/AFP
As US trade tensions with China threaten to increase the cost of imported goods, some smartphone users are choosing to repair ageing devices rather than upgrade to newer models.
That's the decision one iPhone 12 Mini user made after learning that the phone's battery had degraded to about 80 per cent of its original capacity, according to an article published by The Verge. Rather than spend hundreds on a new device, the user opted for a $90 battery replacement, citing both economic uncertainty and personal preference for the phone's smaller size.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
The iPhone 12 Mini, released in 2020, is no longer in production. Despite early reviews that raised concerns about battery life, the compact design remains favored by users seeking a lighter, more portable phone.
More from Tech
China's LandSpace launches 6 satellites with methane-powered rocket
Some owners have continued to use the model even as its software support and battery performance have begun to wane.
The decision to repair rather than replace was partly driven by fears that new tariffs on electronics and components could push up prices in the near future. In early April, the Trump administration introduced sweeping tariffs on Chinese imports, which were followed by new export controls from China targeting rare earth elements essential to the production of high-tech goods.
Apple, which relies heavily on international supply chains, has faced challenges during past disruptions. The company's just-in-time manufacturing model, while efficient, can be vulnerable to supply shocks. Experts say that if tariffs persist or expand, consumers may see higher prices on both new devices and replacement parts.
Apple has only recently expanded its support for independent repairs, following pressure from regulators and consumer advocates. However, critics say the company's parts pairing requirements and limited availability of official components still pose barriers for many users.
Repair demand may increase if inflation and trade uncertainty continue to affect consumer spending habits.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
According to Bloomberg, the Port of Los Angeles has reported a sharp drop in imports, a signal that broader supply chain constraints may be taking shape.
While Apple offers newer models with updated features such as USB-C ports and improved cameras, some users say they see little benefit from annual upgrades, especially if their current phones continue to meet basic needs like calls, messaging, navigation and music.
Apple has not commented on how ongoing trade tensions may affect its repair services or product pricing.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
28 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Forget Cartier: Made-in-China Luxury Captivates Chinese Consumers
Well-off Chinese used to chase Western luxury bags and jewelry as symbols of status. Now, in a challenge to the likes of Cartier and Yves Saint Laurent, they are turning to homegrown brands. Little-known in the West, names such as Laopu, Mao Geping and Songmont are winning over Chinese customers with a pitch that combines locally inspired designs and cultural pride. Beijing auditor Zhou Linanfang, 35, noticed long lines outside a store selling Laopu gold jewelry from her hospital room last year when she was about to give birth. Her social-media feeds added to the buzz around the brand. Zhou, like many in her generation, considered gold jewelry unfashionable but changed her mind after seeing the filigree flower rings, gourd-shaped pendants and phoenix hairpieces in Laopu designs. Soon after the arrival of her baby boy, her husband lined up at a Laopu store in Beijing for an hour to buy her a butterfly-shaped pendant for $1,600. 'It's just stylish,' Zhou said. 'Now that we have luxury gold pieces, as someone who loves fashion, how could I not get one?' Also taking notice are Western luxury-brand CEOs such as Johann Rupert, chairman of Cartier parent Richemont. He was asked in May whether Laopu was a threat. The brand is 'tied to nationalism and tied to patriotism, and they have a lot of wins in their favor,' Rupert said. However, he added, 'Cartier is universal.' For Hermès, the resale value of its bags remains an advantage over Chinese rivals. Sales of luxury products in mainland China, mostly Western brands, fell around 20% last year to less than $50 billion, according to consultants at Bain. They said China accounted for about one in eight dollars spent on luxury globally. For the year ended March 2025, Richemont's sales in China fell 23%. Laopu listed its shares in Hong Kong last year and its stock surged, giving the company a market capitalization of more than $15 billion. By contrast, shares of Gucci owner Kering have declined more than 20% compared with a year earlier as the China growth hopes that formerly drove luxury shares have faded. In June, NBA player Victor Wembanyama was seen wearing Laopu's signature gourd-shaped pendant at a sports-card show in New York after visiting China. Uncertain economy Zhou said she liked the idea of buying gold jewelry because it might retain its value better in an era of growing economic uncertainty. She said she no longer bought a luxury handbag or jewelry every six months like she used to. 'I might lose my job tomorrow, so I definitely need to cut back,' she said. Laopu's chairman, Xu Gaoming, told shareholders in April that the company has carved out a niche with little direct competition. Chinese gold jewelry makers aim for the mass market, while European fine jewelers don't specialize in gold. Laopu's black-and-white stores offer a minimalist ambience, while pampering customers as they wait with Evian water and Godiva chocolate. A Laopu store in Beijing. As those perks suggest, European brands still have a cachet that is hard to match. People in the luxury business said the Chinese brands might even serve as a feeder to get younger consumers interested in luxury. Vanessa Piao, a luxury-bag reseller in China, said more buyers are treating their purchases as an investment, and they often prefer prestigious names such as Hermès, Chanel and Louis Vuitton. 'They are happy to pay $20,000 for a Birkin 25 because they can resell it in a few years without losing much,' Piao said, referring to the Hermès bag. 'They won't pay that money for a luxury bag or any fashion item from a domestic brand, no matter how exquisite and rare it is, because that, to some, is the equivalent of throwing $20,000 down the drain.' Big names, big prices Sophia Zhang, 32, was a loyal customer of Lancôme and Estée Lauder until she became a fan of Mao Geping, the namesake brand of a Chinese makeup artist. Its cream and foundation typically cost half or less the price of the international brands. A 100-gram jar of its signature moisturizer costs $139, compared with $280 for a smaller jar of a top-of-the-line Lancôme moisturizer. 'In the past I figured I'd splurge on skin care, believing those big names were the best, and I'd dismiss local products just because they were cheaper,' said Zhang, who, like Zhou, said she still buys some European brands. Now that she has found a less-expensive alternative that suits her, she said, 'it'll be tough to go back.' Backstage at a Mao Geping show during Beijing Fashion Week. China is also developing some accessible luxury brands priced comparably to Coach and Michael Kors. One is Songmont, known for its simple and modern designs in products such as a $529 shoulder bag. Twelve-year-old Songmont was co-founded by Fu Song and Wang Jie, designers who graduated from China's top art schools. Some of their first products, with Chinese brocade linings depicting auspicious Chinese motifs like dragons, phoenixes and butterflies, were fashioned by Fu's grandmother and other craftspeople in western Shanxi province. Like many other niche brands around the world, Songmont emphasizes sustainability and its sourcing of threads and oils for its leather bags from Germany and Italy. Its stores incorporate pine trees and rocks, and it brought on tennis star Li Na to promote the brand to channel a bold vibe. The next question is whether the Chinese brands can go global. Shein and Temu have succeeded in e-commerce with rock-bottom prices on mostly Chinese-made goods, and some Americans have taken to Labubu, the viral troll-like toy from China's Pop Mart. Laopu, the jewelry retailer, opened its first overseas store in Singapore in June and will venture to Japan next, but a person close to the company questioned whether Western consumers were ready to embrace marketing based on traditional Chinese culture and aesthetics. Bain consultant Claudia D'Arpizio said Labubu's success suggested Gen-Z consumers were open to buying Chinese. However, she said, 'for more of the core high-end luxury customers in the U.S. and in Europe, made-in-Europe is still very important.' Write to Shen Lu at Forget Cartier: Made-in-China Luxury Captivates Chinese Consumers Forget Cartier: Made-in-China Luxury Captivates Chinese Consumers
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
28 minutes ago
- First Post
Is Trump hiding the big cost of renovating 'free' Air Force One from Qatar?
The announcement that Qatar would be giving Donald Trump a 'free' Air Force One was already the subject of much controversy. Many had questions about the ethics of such a transaction, while others expressed concerns about security and the potential cost needed to upgrade such a plane to meet the needs of the US president. Now, a new report is shedding light on the possible expenditure read more A Boeing 747 belonging to Qatar sits on the tarmac of Palm Beach International Airport after President Donald Trump toured the aircraft on Feb. 15. (Photo: AFP) Is Donald Trump trying to hide the cost of renovating the 'free' Air Force One? The announcement that Qatar would be giving the US president a free Boeing 747 worth $400 million was already the subject of much controversy. Many had questions about the ethics of such a transaction. Others expressed concerns about security and the potential cost needed to upgrade such a plane to meet the needs of the US president. Now, It seems the latter is set to explode in Trump's face. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The development comes even as Trump spars with Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell over the costs of renovating the central bank's Washington headquarters. But what happened? What do we know? Let's take a closer look: What happened? The cost of renovating the Qatar plane remains unknown. The aircraft is currently parked in San Antonio. 'Officially, and conveniently, the price tag has been classified. But even by Washington standards, where 'black budgets' are often used as an excuse to avoid revealing the cost of outdated spy satellites and lavish end-of-year parties, the reasoning behind hiding the cost is inventive', The New York Times noted. However, a $934 million transfer of funds in the Pentagon budget has come under the scanner. It refers to an unnamed, classified project. The piece noted that no one wants to discuss the figure. 'Congressional budget sleuths have come to think that amount, slipped into an obscure Pentagon document sent to Capitol Hill as a 'transfer' to an unnamed classified project, almost certainly includes the renovation' of the jet that has been described as a 'palace in the sky',' the newspaper noted. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The funds were shifted from a budget carved out for upgrading the US' ground-based nuclear missiles. Air Force officials have said some of the funds for renovating the plane will be pulled from this budget. Ironically, the plane will not be ready for Trump's use anytime soon. The plane's communication systems, engines need to be improved. The Boeing plane also needs to be fitted with antimissile systems. US agencies will also have to check for any spy equipment Qatar may have put in the plane. US President Donald Trump talks with Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Reuters The plane will also need to be redecorated to match Trump's golden tastes. In all, the 'renovations' could take another year or two – by which time Trump will be getting ready to leave office. Trump has claimed that the plane will be transferred to his presidential library in 2029. Trump as president is barred from accepting gifts from outside entities, including foreign governments and even members of Congress. Article I of the Constitution states that no president shall accept a gift or emolument from a 'King, Prince, or foreign State,' without Congress' permission. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'They knew about it because they buy Boeings, they buy a lot of Boeings, and they knew about it, and they said, we would like to do something,' Trump said. 'And if we can get a 747 as a contribution to our Defense Department to use during a couple of years while they're building the other ones, I think that was a very nice gesture'. Qatar's offer Qatar's offer came after Trump repeatedly complained of delays and cost overruns in aerospace giant Boeing's contract to provide two new Air Force One jets to replace the current aging models. The development came after Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and his Qatari counterpart Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani earlier in July signed an agreement lying out the terms of the 'unconditional donation'. 'This donation is made in good faith and in the spirit of cooperation and mutual support between the parties,' the document states. 'Nothing in this MoU is, or shall be interpreted or construed as, an offer, promise, or acceptance of any form of bribery, undue influence, or corrupt practice'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It states that the donation is 'not connected or otherwise related to any governmental decision and, as such, is not made, offered, promised or accepted because of any past, present or future official act or decision and is not intended to obtain or retain any improper advantage or to influence any official decision'. US President Donald Trump boards Air Force One. Boeing has spent years stripping down and rebuilding two 747s to replace the versions that have carried presidents for more than three decades. The project is slated to cost more than $5.3 billion and may not be finished before Trump leaves office. A 2021 report made public through the Freedom of Information Act outlines the unclassified requirements for the replacement 747s under construction. At the top of the list — survivability and communications. The government decided more than a decade ago that the new planes had to have four engines so they could remain airborne if one or two fail, said Deborah Lee James, who was Air Force secretary at the time. That creates a challenge because 747s are no longer manufactured, which could make spare parts harder to come by. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Air Force One also has to have the highest level of classified communications, anti-jamming capabilities and external protections against foreign surveillance, so the president can securely command military forces and nuclear weapons during a national emergency. It's an extremely sensitive and complex system, including video, voice and data transmissions. Trump previously said it would be 'stupid' not to accept the gift from Qatar. 'It's a great gesture,' the 78-year-old billionaire told reporters at the White House when asked if the oil-rich Gulf state would expect anything in exchange. 'I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer. I mean, I could be a stupid person (and) say 'no we don't want a free, very expensive airplane.'' Ironically, the developments come as Trump is at odds with Powell, the chief of the Fed he has long wanted to fire. Powell, who is operates independently, has refused to tow the president's line when it comes to interest rates. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He has also slammed the president's tariff policies, which has infuriated Trump. Trump, who has repeatedly mused about firing Powell, may use the renovations of the Federal Reserve building in Washington as an excuse to fire the Fed chief. However, firing Powell could lead to the stock market melting down and investors fleeing for the hills. With inputs from agencies
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
28 minutes ago
- Business Standard
US visa update: B1/B2 interview waiver window cut from 48 to 12 months
Come September 2, 2025, the United States will implement new rules narrowing who can skip the in-person visa interview process. The updated policy will mostly affect travellers renewing B1/B2 visas (those issued for business and tourism), the US government said in a press release. Until now, applicants whose visas had expired within the past 48 months could apply for a renewal without attending an interview. That grace period will be reduced to 12 months under the new rules, as per revised guidance from the US Department of State. Current policy till September 1, 2025): From September 2, 2025): The eligibility window is reduced drastically: only those whose previous B1/B2 visa expired within the past 12 months can apply without an interview. What this means: — Fewer people will now qualify for dropbox or waiver processing. — More applicants will be required to appear for in-person interviews at consulates, increasing appointment demand and wait The change will mean many more applicants will now need to schedule in-person appointments at US consulates, potentially straining already stretched visa processing systems in countries like India. Notably, in 2023, over 700,000 B1/B2 (visitor) visa applications were processed for Indians by the US. More face-to-face interviews ahead For applicants used to the 'dropbox' route, this update could be a setback. The dropbox facility allowed people renewing certain visa types to simply submit documents without visiting a consulate. With the new 12-month expiry rule, only a smaller subset of applicants will now qualify. The policy also grants US consular officers the discretion to call any applicant for an interview, regardless of eligibility under the waiver programme. Fewer waivers, more checks The B1/B2 category isn't the only one impacted. Students on F-1 visas and professionals on H-1B will also be asked to appear in person if their previous visa expired over 12 months ago—even if they previously qualified for a waiver. Still, some categories remain eligible for interview waivers, including: Children under 14 Adults over 79 Applicants for diplomatic and official visas such as A-1, A-2, G-1 to G-4, NATO, and TECRO E-1 Applicants renewing diplomatic or official visas Mexican nationals with a Border Crossing Card/Foil, or applicants for B1/B2 visas applying from their country of residence without any past visa refusals or apparent ineligibility, may also be considered for a waiver. New Visa Integrity Fee to be charged Earlier this month, the Trump administration rolled out a new Visa Integrity Fee of $250 (around Rs 21,700). This fee applies to all non-immigrant visa categories and is collected at the time of visa approval—not during application. The Department of State has said the fee applies to most major categories including tourist (B-2), business (B-1), student (F, M), work (H-1B), and exchange visitor (J) visas. 'There are no exemptions for these groups. The fee will be adjusted every year based on inflation,' said a consular note issued to applicants.
