Apple set to open sixth Apple Store in Beijing as construction permit is approved

According to a public notice from the Beijing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Apple has obtained a construction permit for a site on Xinning Street in Daxing District in the south of Beijing, marking the arrival of the sixth Apple Store in the Chinese capital. Currently, no details have been released regarding the opening date of the new Apple Store. Apple’s smartphone shipments in China dropped 9% year-on-year in the first quarter, data from research firm IDC revealed last week. The company, which ranks fifth in China’s smartphone market, saw its shipments fall to 9.8 million units in the first quarter. [IThome, in Chinese]