On the evening of October 13, Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, made a surprise appearance in the Douyin live - streaming studio of the Apple Store's flagship outlet. This marked his first - ever live - streaming sales event tailored for Chinese consumers.

During the live broadcast, Cook made an exciting announcement. He stated that the pre - order phase for the iPhone Air China version would kick off at 9 a.m. on October 17, which falls on this coming Friday. Moreover, the official sales of the product are set to commence on October 22. In the English - speaking business world, it's common for high - profile executives like CEOs to engage in such live - streaming events to directly connect with consumers and boost sales. This approach reflects the global trend of leveraging digital platforms for marketing and customer engagement. In China, Douyin is a hugely popular social media and live - streaming platform, and having a well - known figure like Tim Cook appear on it is a strategic move to tap into the vast Chinese market.