With an enormous and expanding number of smartphone users in China, apps such as Fruit Ninja and Angry Birds are customizing to appeal specifically to them.

Although Apple appears eager to put last month's controversy over warranty issues and discrimination far behind it, the Chinese government may have other plans if the prior experiences of foreign companies such as Google are any indication.

For much of March, the Chinese government has been on the offensive against the tech giant, accusing Apple of discriminatory after-sales and warranty policies in China.

In Western countries, online traffic is moving from Web and PC’s to mobile while, in Asia, consumer and tech entrepreneurs have leapfrogged directly into mobile, creating popular apps like WeChat, Line, and Kakao Talk.

As China's mobile-obsessed consumers develop an interest in fashion, brands are finding that digital marketing via Weibo or WeChat might not be enough to drive shoppers to stores or boost online sales.