China Unicom has only acquired a little over 5,000 iPhone subscribers since officially introducing the device last weekend, according to Reuters. Nearly 300 people attended a Friday launch ceremony at a Unicom store in Beijing, but actual sales have been marginal, paling in comparison to other countries. On the original launch weekend of the iPhone 3GS, Apple sold over 1 million units divided between just eight countries.
Unicom has also clarified that it has signed up over 1 million 3G network users to date, not gray-market iPhone 3Gs. The company does have a special amnesty program for imported iPhones.
Several factors could be to blame for phone sales; the most prominent is likely pricing, as Chinese iPhones are expensive compared to their American counterparts, at the high end costing the equivalent of over $1,000. Such prices can account for as much as a third or more of a Chinese worker's salary, making even the lowest-end iPhone a luxury. Imported iPhones are substantially cheaper, and still supported by Unicom's network.
Foreign devices are moreover equipped with Wi-Fi, whereas current Chinese regulations prevent the technology from being installed in any locally-built cellphone. It is believed that Wi-Fi could be allowed on Chinese iPhones in the next several months, leaving virtually no incentive to buy present models.
No comments posted on this story yet. Please post yours.
Your Comments
In order to post comments, you must be a registered member of the
MacNN Forums and logged in. Please login with your MacNN Forums username and password.
Not a member of the MacNN forums?
Register now for free.
