• It's Official: China is getting the iPhone

    It's Official: China is getting the iPhone

    Techtree News Staff, Aug 29, 2009 1013 hrs IST

    Might hit the shelves by October

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As if we didn't know. Anyway, since it has now become official, let us confirm that Apple's iPhone will finally reach the massive Chinese market later this year on the China Unicom Network.

The Chinese operator, in a recent earnings announcement, confirmed the rumors. A part of the earnings report goes like this:- "On Aug. 28, 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."

With over 135 million users, China Unicom is one of the world's biggest mobile phone operators and for the same reason, the iPhone now gets a whole new untapped market at its disposal. All China bound iPhones will come crippled with Wi-Fi as required by the law in China. To make the phone affordable to the masses, China Unicom will also offer subsidies to users who wish to buy the device. However, no announcement regarding the level of the subsidy has been made so far.

If all goes well, the Chinese would be seen flaunting their iPhones by October. Oh and it will be getting both the version the normal iPhone 3G and the latest 3GS version.

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Discussion Board
(5) Comments
Michael
,Sydney, on Aug 30, 2009 05:27 AM
Why all the hate? Just coz big western companies throw Asian companies a bone and use them for manufacturing doesn't mean that manufacturing company has any intellectual ownership stake whatsoever. Chinese tech companies will use the same cheap labour. At the end of the day china is happy because they are getting more jobs.
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Amit
,Mumbai India, on Aug 29, 2009 12:31 PM
I agree with you Le. Asian heads are far superior to western people when it comes to tech. The only problem is us getting it together in the right place and time. I hardly know any one who owns an IPhone here. It's just a Rich mans toy no value for money at all!
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David Le
,Shenzhen China, on Aug 29, 2009 11:04 AM
We really dont need the iPhone and apples bigboss control games. A innocent kid died because Foxconn Taiwanese company probably murdered him and it was iPhone contract related. The iPhone failed badly in Asia, including Japan and India. They (the western corporations) can take their low tech slave labor products and shove it up their .... Microsoft uses the hard work of India's techs and gives most of the white ceos like Gates credit for everything. We Asians can do our own and do better if we can Unite. That is the problem that needs to be solved now.
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Just Kidding
,Private, on Aug 29, 2009 11:02 AM
The Chinese version will be called the ChiPhone, and instead of an Apple logo on the back, it will have a Pomegranate ("Chinese Apple")
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hysonmb
,waldorf, on Aug 29, 2009 10:54 AM
It only makes sense for them to get the iPhone since much of it is manufactured over there!
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