China's streets are, sometimes literally, littered with the Apple logo. But as much an IP violation as unlicensed merchandise is, its existence has always said something about the power of Apple's brand in China. Indeed, it was only in January that the country's launch of the iPhone 4S forced the brand to halt sales after fears of uncontrollable crowds.

Apple's iPhone 5 China launch produced no mass hysteria and the barricades erected outside one Beijing store were unceremoniously taken down soon after launch. Yet the brand sold a tidy 2 million units of its latest iPhone over the weekend. How? By selling the iPhone 5 for under $100. Continue reading...

When Chinese celebrity Jimmy Lin posted pictures of himself playing with what he claimed to be one of the first iPhone 5 smartphones, Lin's 13.6 million Weibo users and China's legion of Apple fanatics took notice. The original post, now forwarded over 181,000 times, is evidence of how eager China's millions of smartphone users are about the long awaited new handset. At least, Apple hopes so.

But the fervor in China over the iPhone is also decidedly different than that over the iPhone 4 (and 4S). While many explain away Apple's plummeting China market share as patience over the iPhone 5 release, this writer—and one China market expert—suspect Apple is in for a hard landing in China. More importantly, some Chinese consumers appear to feel the same.Continue reading...

At the Luohu port crossing between Hong Kong and Shenzhen in southern China, authorities have seized more than 3,000 smuggled iPhone 4S units since January 1st, at the rate of about 47 per day. One desperate smuggler even tried to cross with 30 iPhones "tied to his waist and ankles."

Because the iPhone 4S sells for $125 less in Hong Kong than the mainland, smuggling has become an increasing problem. But Apple should see this as a good sign, considering how recent problems with iPhone 4S service are threatening to seriously handicap Apple's brand in China.Continue reading...

AOL reorganizes into four business units.

Apple softens stance to lure mobile ads, as iAds seen as rare failure for Steve Jobs.

AT&T deal with T-Mobile granted a delay by judge.

BBC to make World News available through Comcast.

China Mobile tops Millward Brown ranking of Chinese brands.

Deloitte sees gamification as one of the top tech trends of 2012.

Facebook seen as not needing Wall Street to go public; tests private messages between people and pages.

HP dumps its iPad rival on eBay.

IHOP opens fast-casual IHOP Express.

Ikea sues Irish home retailer for allegedly copying prints.

Intel tells customers they can turn up the heat in server rooms.

Interbrand named branding agency of the year by Marketing magazine.Continue reading...

Announced today at the World Economic Forum's Summer Davos conference in Dalian, China, Interbrand has released the top 50 brands making its 2011 Best China Brands ranking.

"Chinese brands area accumulating strength at home to actively prepare for future development overseas," commented Interbrand Global CEO Jez Frampton on the fourth annual ranking of the Chinese market. "We are already experiencing Chinese brands around the world, and will likely see one of the 2011 Best China Brands among the top 100 Best Global Brands in the near future."

China Mobile maintains top spot this year, while social media giant Tencent breaks into the top 10 for the first time, debuting at #7 following a 76% increase in its brand value in the past 12 months.

The financial services industry remains prominent this year, representing 19 of the top 50 brands (including seven of the top 10 positions).

Brands in the IT services were another fast-growing sector, showing an industry-wide 68% increase in brand value since the 2010 ranking, while fashion-forward apparel brands also broke through.

The sector showing the biggest decrease in brand value: China's food and beverage industry, which suffered a 25% in brand value in the past 12 months due to food safety issues.

Click here to read the 2011 Best China Brands report.

Bank of America is pushed by regulators on contingency plans, as more than a dozen suits against big US banks are expected to be filed in the coming days over bad mortgages.

AstraZeneca fails to beat Pfizer in match of anti-cholesterol drugs Crestor and Lipitor.

BP raid in Russia is suspended.

Baidu, China Mobile and ICBC rank among top brands in China, survey says.

Campbell's profit takes a hit on declining US soup sales.

China Telecom plans UK mobile service before London 2012 Olympics.Continue reading...

* Oracle's Larry Ellison will fight HP's lawsuit over Mark Hurd's hiring.

* BP assumes partial blame for the Gulf disaster, citing a series of factors in its just-released report.

* Oprah Winfrey uses clout to launch syndicated talk show featuring her designer, Nate Berkus.

* Vodafone sold its China Mobile stake for $6.6 billion.

* Samsung's Galaxy S phone will be offered by China's three mobile carriers.

* Anheuser-Busch scored a "partial victory" in legal battle with an Illinois distributor.Continue reading...

In the Western world, Taiwanese mobile phone manufacturer HTC is a rapidly growing brand. The company's awareness has skyrocketed since being associated with the Droid, sold by Verizon in the U.S. and regarded as the strongest competitor to Apple's iPhone.

Ironically, though, HTC has been practically invisible in China, because the company has sold its phones under another brand name. Now HTC aims to capitalize on its global brand recognition by promoting its own brand on mainland China.Continue reading...