Apple and China Unicom Reach 3-Year Deal to Bring iPhone to China
As anticipated — and anticipated again and again — China Unicom has finally announced that the iPhone is coming to China:
On 28 August, the Company and Apple reached a three-year agreement for the Company to sell iPhone in China. The initial launch is expected to be in the fourth calendar quarter of 2009. This will provide users with brand new communication and information experience.
Now all that’s left is to find out if it will have, you know, WiFi, an App Store, etc…
(via Engadget)
August 28th, 2009 at 6:50 am
wow. great news. for China as well as India ..
How for India.. now iPhones will flow in India from China at cheaper price..
August 28th, 2009 at 6:58 am
Congrats Apple!
August 28th, 2009 at 8:23 am
Well since China is CDMA will verizon get the iPhone?
August 28th, 2009 at 10:10 am
@BBYM
No, China does not exclusively use CDMA. Apple is working with China Unicom, which is a GSM carrier.
August 28th, 2009 at 11:50 am
Wow, I never thought this deal would actually go through. If you thought the iPhone had sold a lot before, you ain’t seen nothing yet!
August 28th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
I don’t know alot about China, but can most of the people there afford these?
I guess with that many people, there have to be some people with $$
August 28th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Joe..
Seriously dude.?. U gotta be kidding me wit that question.. It jus goes to show how ignorant some people are..
Where do u think almost everything in ur house is made.?. U really think America is the only place the iPhone will sell.?. This question jus irritated me.. Dude open ur eyes.. N ur brain.. Look it up fool.. China actually lend money to America..
U think Vegas is a big gambling town.?. Look up China.. I’m not chineese but I am Asian.. I’m tired of these ignorant *** people thinking America is the only thing in the world..
August 28th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
@Cdub0512 yes. I couldn’t have said it better myself. Joe. You should have stopped after “I don’t know a lot about China.”
August 28th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
Cdub0512: Before being so hostile, his question is quite valid. Sure there is alot of money floating around in China, but the typical wage/salary is multiples lower than America – and many other places.
So yes, while the management and executive types can afford it – can the typical workers afford it?
That’s all the question was, nothing arrogant about it!
August 28th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
@ Frog, @Ken @ Joe …..Cdub0512 point is STILL valid too. And it’s obvious that you guys don’t know China. China is nothing about poors rice’s farmers or people riding old bikes ….. Do you really think that China unicom will buy millions of iPhones if they weren’t sure to sell ????? Please, travel a little bit more and you will really know the world. America is not the center of the world.
Returning your question : Can the typical americans workers ( really ) afford the iPhone ???
August 28th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
iblackdude: Firstly, I’m not American…
But yeah, the typical American worker would struggle – though could afford – an iPhone.
Chinese wages are dramatically lower.
That’s all. Nothing about people riding old bikes, wtf???
August 28th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
Hi fellow, I am a Chinese and from Taiwan currently working at Beijing for over 6 years. Let me say something about the Chinese market.
First of all, Joe has a question that is common in many American and subsequent answers are also all valid.
China has 1.3 (almost 1.4) billion of population. Off those, there are about 300 million people reside in cities that may be considered as white collar works. This is exactly same as the population of the States.
There is also a strange consuming habit in China. That is people may be only making 100 dollars per month but would save 3 or 4 months of salary to buy a 300-400 dollars cell phone. I guess when the upper class use automobile to show their ‘class’, the upcomers must feel to use ‘cellphone’ to show their class as well!
Hope this help you all to understand the China and Chinese mentality!
September 4th, 2009 at 2:31 am
There is an enormous market available in China, and India to for that matter. Even if they almost give away the iPhones, they will make another fortune on the data plans.