Apple CEO Tim Cook was gifted a bespoke Labubu doll eerily resembling himself, complete with a tiny iPhone 17 Pro in its paw, during a surprise stop at Pop Mart's 'The Monsters' 10th anniversary exhibition in Shanghai.
The one-of-a-kind figurine, dreamed up by Kasing Lung, the visionary creator of the mischievous Labubu character from Pop Mart's wildly popular The Monsters series, captures Cook's iconic style down to the last detail - fluffy white fur, round spectacles, a navy polo shirt, slim black jeans, crisp white sneakers, and that unmistakable grin. But the real showstopper? The doll's firm grip on a miniature iPhone 17 Pro in Apple's eye-catching Cosmic Orange hue, nodding to the latest flagship that's turning heads worldwide.
Kasing Lung handed over the custom creation to Cook amid a sea of mirrored shelves brimming with Labubu collectibles, as the duo posed for snapshots in the exhibition's dazzling "mirror room." Lung later shared the magic on Instagram, beaming alongside Cook in a post that read: "Great meeting you Tim! Thanks for visiting The Monsters by Monsters 10th Anniversary exhibition in Shanghai. Hope you enjoy the unique 'Tim Cook Labubu' we made for you. In his post, he used the hashtag #ShotoniPhone17Pro."
Cook's reaction? Pure joy. The Apple chief, fresh off a demo of Lung's digital artistry on an iPad Pro with Apple Pencil, gushed on Weibo, "Very happy to be back in Shanghai! I loved seeing how he creates his characters on iPad Pro—including Labubu, who now has her own new iPhone 17 Pro in Cosmic Orange!" In a chat with China Daily, he doubled down: "I love it. I have my personal one now. It’s a one-of-a-kind, and I’m so impressed with it. I’m putting it right on my desk."
This playful encounter unfolded against the backdrop of Cook's high-stakes China tour, timed perfectly with the regulatory green light for the iPhone Air—Apple's slimmest smartphone yet at just 5.6mm thick and pioneering eSIM-only tech for the mainland market. Pre-orders kick off October 17, with shelves stocking up by October 22, as Apple ramps up to fend off fierce rivals like Huawei and Xiaomi ahead of the Double 11 shopping bonanza.
