It looked like Apple published an ad for Samsung. But it was reportedly just a technical error

According to many media outlets, an advertisement for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 appeared on the official Apple Support account on the Chinese social network Weibo. What looked like an unexpected marketing blunder, however, has a different explanation according to the iPhone manufacturer’s statement. The company claims that it did not publish any competitor content and that the entire matter is due to a technical platform error.

Bizarre error, or technical problem?

Users of the Chinese social network Weibo noticed that a post promoting a new Samsung foldable phone was displayed on the official Apple Support account. The two-and-a-half-minute video showcased the device’s features with the One UI 8 overlay before it was removed. Screenshots of this anomaly quickly spread to other social networks, including platform X (formerly Twitter).

Official Apple Support China page posted the Samsung Galaxy Z flip 7 video

This is the first time Apple did such thing pic.twitter.com/ZQDlL4oXVj

— Jony Ive (@TheJonyIve) July 30, 2025

However, an Apple spokesperson later clarified the situation, as reported by 9to5Mac: “Apple Support only published Apple content. We are working with Weibo to understand how this happened,” the official statement reportedly said. From this response, it is clear that Apple considers the entire matter to be a technical problem on the platform’s side, not its own error.

Until this moment, there was speculation, for example, whether the same marketing agency manages the Samsung and Apple accounts in China. In such a case, it could be an understandable human error, which, however, given Apple’s seriousness, could have serious consequences.

The only one who can potentially profit from the event – regardless of which side the error occurred on – is, of course, Samsung, whose video appeared on a competitor’s profile with over 400 thousand followers.

Have you ever encountered a similar technical error on social media?

Sources: 9to5Google, 9to5Mac, X, Weibo