Apple In China

At 13 hours and 32 minutes in audiobook form (or 448 pages in print), Apple in China is a substantial commitment. Is it worth it? That depends on how deep your interest lies not just in Apple, but in the broader dynamics of U.S. companies’ reliance on Chinese manufacturing and global supply chains.

Many books have been written about Apple’s rise, often centred on Steve Jobs and the company’s early innovations. This isn’t one of them. Patrick McGee focuses instead on the Tim Cook era, which has been a period defined less by product breakthroughs and more by the company’s increasing dependence on China as its manufacturing powerhouse.

If that premise sparks your curiosity, the book is definitely worth the effort. There are stretches that require persistence, but by the end you gain a much deeper appreciation for how Apple became so entangled in China’s industrial ecosystem and how difficult that dependency is to unwind. McGee clearly illustrates why this has become both a competitive advantage and a major vulnerability. Despite Apple’s attempts to diversify into India, the scale of its Chinese operations makes any quick pivot nearly impossible.

For anyone interested in Apple’s operational realities, whether from a business, policy, or investment perspective, this makes for a valuable read. It explores the tension Apple faces today i.e. heavy reliance on Chinese supply chains on one side, trade and tariff pressures on the other, and a perceived slowdown in innovation under Cook’s leadership. The book raises a key question which the jury is still out on. Can Apple rediscover its creative spark? Or has it evolved into a company more focused on logistics than invention?

McGee deserves credit for the depth of his research and clarity of explanation. It’s no small task to distil this level of complexity into a readable and relatively easy to consume format. He manages though, to deliver both a detailed analysis of Apple’s current position as well as a cautionary lesson for other global companies navigating similar dependencies.

Who’s it for?

This isn’t a casual read, but for those interested in understanding global macroeconomics, supply chains, or Apple’s shifting strategic landscape, it’s worth the invested time. If you’ve read Chokepoints or Chip War and found them insightful, you’ll likely enjoy Apple in China too. It’s a valuable addition to the bookshelf of anyone curious about how global interdependence, corporate strategy, and geopolitics intersect in the modern business world.