, Columnist
Apple’s China IPhone Woes Were Foretold in Japan
Slumping orders for machinery makers such as Fanuc should have served as an early warning sign.
Fanuc's robot arms were already pointing to trouble.
Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
They told you so, Apple.
Japan’s machinery makers gave Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook a warning well in advance about what he didn’t seem to know: Chinese smartphone demand was plummeting. The iPhone maker blamed China for a cut in its revenue forecast Wednesday, which sent fresh ripples through the company’s long chain of suppliers across Asia. Apple “did not foresee the magnitude of the economic deceleration, particularly in Greater China,” it said in its release.