While Apple has been experiencing a fair amount of success with Apple Pay in the US, word on the street has it that they are struggling to get the service launched in China namely due to restrictions and the wariness of the Chinese government. However we have also heard that Apple could be partnering up with Alibaba to help make the launch easier.
It looks like the rumors could be true because according to reports, Alibaba has reportedly confirmed that the company’s mobile payments service Alipay will be launched in time and alongside the Apple Watch in April. The Apple Watch is scheduled for a release on the 24th of April and the smartwatch version of Alipay Wallet will be ready by then.
It is unclear if Alipay will be a completely separate service or if Apple and Alibaba had worked out some kind of agreement where Alipay will be tied into a partnership with the Cupertino company, but for Chinese users looking forward to making mobile payments via their smartwatch, the Alipay Wallet app is one to keep an eye out for.
The report from China had also expressed their pleasure in seeing Apple start off their Spring Forward event with a video showing off the company’s latest store in Hangzhou, and how WeChat was prominently featured in the Apple Watch demonstration video.
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