China Unicom Web Site Posts iPhone Information, Launching Soon?

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/03/24/china-unicom-web-site-posts-iphone-information-launching-soon/)


http://images.macrumors.com/article/2009/03/24/113455-china_unicom_500.png
Macworld reports (http://www.macworld.co.uk/mac/news/index.cfm?NewsID=25511) that a regional branch of China Unicom has posted information (http://www.sh.chinaunicom.com/3G/4/4_1.html) [Google translation (http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sh.chinaunicom.com%2F3G%2F4%2F4_1.html&sl=zh-CN&tl=en)] related to the iPhone on their web site.The information, which listed smartphones supported by the 3G network China Unicom is building, appeared only on the Web site of the company's Shanghai branch and did not say whether the products would be offered in China.

The site's changes follow media reports that a China Unicom delegation visiting Apple last week made a breakthrough in talks over offering the iPhone 3G on its network.

Apple has been trying to bring the iPhone to China, the world's largest mobile phone market, but has struggled to come to agreements with the country's largest carriers. Talks with China Mobile, the country's largest provider, have broken down (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/02/09/details-of-iphone-negotiations-between-apple-and-china-mobile-emerge/) numerous times, although the company still claims to be in negotiations (http://www.macnn.com/articles/09/03/19/china.mobile.talks.persist/) with Apple.

Apple's efforts with China Unicom, the world's third largest mobile provider with over 125 million GSM subscribers, have apparently proven more fruitful, with previous rumors (http://www.macrumors.com/iphone/2009/02/24/apple-and-china-unicom-bringing-iphone-to-china-in-may-2009/) pointing to a May launch of the iPhone on their network.

Article Link: China Unicom Web Site Posts iPhone Information, Launching Soon? (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/03/24/china-unicom-web-site-posts-iphone-information-launching-soon/)

[RTiii320]

Good to hear, I don't see why it took this long to arrive there in the first place.

So they are only getting the 2G version, rather then the 3G's??

[bigandy]

More penetration is definitely good, but this may be a bit premature considering the reports of talk breakdowns...


RTii320, negotiations can be nightmarish even with a best selling product. I'm sure uptake will increase after this news.


They're a mixture of 3G and 2.5G iPhones there. Weird. But, placeholders.. Prolly not that important...

[happydude]

if this takes off in china, apple will be the number one mobile phone seller in the world

[iMacmatician]

The date (at least I think it's the date) says July 2008, is that a typo?

[chenazhi]

obviously WIFI function has been cut off by China's government.

[bigchief]

Another reason why apple will not have time to produce a CDMA phone.

[ivladster]

Is it either a poorly designed page or its a place-holder for the new iPhone. Even pictures are of both 2G and 3G iPhone. However in the features there are things like "animated screensaver" which is very weird. I think its just a teaser page for July 2009.

[yuhaii]

It is not accurate information! It is only an introduction of the current phones supporting for 3G. As I know about chinese mobile market, THIS means nothing.....sorry

[lftrghtparadigm]

On the plus side a small percentage of market share in China would double iPhone sales worldwide.

[yuhaii]

obviously WIFI function has been cut off by China's government.

Any proof? what's the meaning to cut off the WIFI function? or you mean the totally internet connection is banned in CHINA....

[cshen]

obviously WIFI function has been cut off by China's government.

It's not the government but the carriers.

[plumbingandtech]

if this takes off in china, apple will be the number one mobile phone seller in the world

Anyone know who is the "big dog" in chinese mobile phone suppliers now? I mean the cost of the iphone will not make it #1 but I was wondering if Nokia or Samsumg are already big there or is an in country brand is the most used...
:confused:

[Saladinos]

Good to hear, I don't see why it took this long to arrive there in the first place.

So they are only getting the 2G version, rather then the 3G's??

WCDMA = UMTS = 3G

[dvdhsu]

Any proof? what's the meaning to cut off the WIFI function? or you mean the totally internet connection is banned in CHINA....

I dunno about that, but you should know that China is pretty strict when it comes to a lot of things.
During the Olympics, the whole iTunes store was blocked by the Chinese Government, because it was selling a "Free Tibet" Album.
Made me pretty angry when I couldn't use the App store at all on my MacBook, even when I was just visiting.
Didn't work on my iPod Touch either.

[GorillaPaws]

Sadly, the only app allowed on the Chinese App Store, is a digital version of the little red book...

[dvdhsu]

Anyone know who is the "big dog" in chinese mobile phone suppliers now? I mean the cost of the iphone will not make it #1 but I was wondering if Nokia or Samsumg are already big there or is an in country brand is the most used...
:confused:

There isn't really a "Big Dog" in China right now.
Mostly it's a bunch of small Chinese companies fighting against Motorola and the like.
Haven't really seen Samsung and LG there though.
But even if it does come to China, it is doubtful it will gain any market share. (IMO)
If you've ever been to China, they think that a camera phone is amazing, especially when it's above a megapixel.
If you look at the average wages in China, it's even more depressing.

[plumbingandtech]

Sadly, the only app allowed on the Chinese App Store, is a digital version of the little red book...

All your 25K iPhone apps r belong to us:

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=303880907&mt=8


Edit: Thanks dvdhsu! Appreciate it!

[lOUDsCREAMEr]

Seems it's NOT the iPhone 3G we are using.. crippled iPhone 3G anyone??

Missing wifi?? (the spec says GSM/WCDMA/EGDE/GPRS), available in silver / black.
No mention of bluetooth / app store /camera

[dvdhsu]

It's not the government but the carriers.
That would actually make a lot of sense, as they would like to make more money.
Perhaps they'll limit the data on the iPhone to something like 50 megabytes, and charge horrific prices for data overusage.
Sadly, the only app allowed on the Chinese App Store, is a digital version of the little red book...
Unfortunatley so.
:D

[Kardashian]

There's also a flash video on the website showing the iPhone moving in a spiral with their other flagship models, such as the G1.

Also interesting, there's a flash video showing 2 iPhone's, and photo's being messaged/moved between the 2.

Lastly, the photo's shown next to the iPhone's information box are mostly of the first gen.

So I'm guessing they will launch with the new iPhone, rumoured this summer. (which is why they're not using 'current' photos)

[idannyb]

For full backstory on iPhone in China negotiations read >
http://idannyb.wordpress.com/2009/03/23/apples-iphone-in-china-negotiations/

More on China Unicom's visit to Cupertino >
http://idannyb.wordpress.com/2009/03/20/china-unicom-visit-to-cupertino-confirmed/

I believe the China Unicom delegation was in town for the 3.0 presentation on March 17 ;)

[Viking369]

In the iPhone OS 3.0 keynote China was one of the countries marked as red - ie. iPhone distribution.

Am i the only one who saw that? Do i really need to go back and watch the damn thing again?

Plus as this slide was about app store, i guess that's an indication as to whether or not they'd allow the app store there...

[happydude]

There isn't really a "Big Dog" in China right now.
Mostly it's a bunch of small Chinese companies fighting against Motorola and the like.
Haven't really seen Samsung and LG there though.
But even if it does come to China, it is doubtful it will gain any market share. (IMO)
If you've ever been to China, they think that a camera phone is amazing, especially when it's above a megapixel.
If you look at the average wages in China, it's even more depressing.

is the phone subsidized by china unicom at all? would help the price adoption. yes, the wages are bad, but then, aren't the phones made in china? employee discounts:D they should also save on shipping costs . . . :rolleyes:

[3247]

So they are only getting the 2G version, rather then the 3G's??
Er, the web page says: “GSM 850/900/1800/1900Mhz，支持 WCDMA，支持 GPRS/EDGE”

WCDMA = UMTS/HSDPA = 3.5G

[iMacoo7]

In the iPhone OS 3.0 keynote China was one of the countries marked as red - ie. iPhone distribution.

Am i the only one who saw that? Do i really need to go back and watch the damn thing again?

Plus as this slide was about app store, i guess that's an indication as to whether or not they'd allow the app store there...

I saw that as well. I honestly think that China has been waging war because they know there is a new iPhone and want the newest technology , instead of bringing in the "older" model iPhones to the table.
Maybe they are going to wait to finish the deal once the new iPhone emerges and then offer the 3G iPhone as well.... Who knows....

[xsecretfiles]

More penetration is definitely good, but this may be a bit premature

THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!

[lazyrighteye]

With a new iPhone just a few months away, it would seem weird to launch the iPhone in China - today - with a year-old model. Yes?

From what little I know, doesn't the current iPhone 3G lack features the Chinese have come to expect from even their basic devices?
Sure, the 3.0 update goes a long way towards closing any [perceived] software gaps (which is already years ahead in many, important ways). But it seems like there are some hardware features (eg: camera pixel count or video recording or...) the current iPhone 3G lacks, leading me to think a successful Chinese launch would greatly depend on a hardware-revised iPhone & not the current 3G design.

I don't know...

[amac4me]

With a new iPhone just a few months away, it would seem weird to launch the iPhone in China - today - with a year-old model. Yes?

The timing seems a bit odd. One would think that they would wait for the next iPhone revision.

[DELLsFan]

All Communist regimes want their share (of the control many seem to play down) either indirectly or directly. I think China is far more interested in RED than they are the GREEN, IMO. As such, I predict that if the iPhone does start selling in China, the following will follow:

1. Wi-Fi will be disabled or strictly monitored.

2. Location Services - won't be able to disable.

3. SMS will be disabled or strictly monitored.

4. Cost to citizens will preclude sales from making significant market share jump.

5. iPhone inventory stock levels in the US will begin to fluctuate (more so than they do now; especially closer to the June announcements) as Apple will want to be ready for the millions and millions of iPhone they'll want to sell.

6. Apologists for dictatorships like the one in China will note the increased exposure to the Chinese of American innovation and technology (uniquely represented by Apple) and assert China's moral relativism to the United States even more than they do now.

But as someone said, let's not talk about that - lest we all start seeing RED.

:apple:

[jibern]

I thought it said China Unicorn.

[mw2009]

All Communist regimes want their share (of the control many seem to play down) either indirectly or directly. I think China is far more interested in RED than they are the GREEN, IMO. As such, I predict that if the iPhone does start selling in China, the following will follow:

1. Wi-Fi will be disabled or strictly monitored.

2. Location Services - won't be able to disable.

3. SMS will be disabled or strictly monitored.

4. Cost to citizens will preclude sales from making significant market share jump.

5. iPhone inventory stock levels in the US will begin to fluctuate (more so than they do now; especially closer to the June announcements) as Apple will want to be ready for the millions and millions of iPhone they'll want to sell.

6. Apologists for dictatorships like the one in China will note the increased exposure to the Chinese of American innovation and technology (uniquely represented by Apple) and assert China's moral relativism to the United States even more than they do now.

But as someone said, let's not talk about that - lest we all start seeing RED.

:apple:

Well, There are free WIFI spots in most starbucks and local coffee shops in BeiJing (Capital of China if you don't know). Free WIFI in most coffee shops at airports. There are lots of WIFI spots in China's major cities. Matter of fact, I was using my girlfriend's iPhone on a local coffee shop's WIFI spot at Shanghai the other day.

Chinese don't normally use voice mail. They use SMS. Without SMS, iPhone or any phone will not sell.

There tons of unlocked 2nd generation iPhones in China right now. They are everywhere now on the street.

Anyway, it's a great news. I am not fan of unlocked iPhones. This will give me a reason to get one finally.

[guzhogi]

I think I remember reading in an older China iPhone thread that the iPhone would cost several months' pay for many people in China. I don't know if that's true, but if it is, I doubt many Chinese people will buy an iPhone. But with over 1 billion people, even 1% marketshare would mean 10 million people.

is the phone subsidized by china unicom at all? would help the price adoption. yes, the wages are bad, but then, aren't the phones made in china? employee discounts:D they should also save on shipping costs . . . :rolleyes:

I was going to say the exact same thing.

[hacksaw-C87]

Anyone remember all those websites that were offering iPhone nano cases? ...I'm still waiting for my iPhone nano to be announced by Apple!

I'm not saying a new iPhone isn't coming in the near future, but do we know that this source is 100% reliable?

[Eraserhead]

obviously WIFI function has been cut off by China's government.

Seriously, you have no idea. I've actually personally used WiFi in China, in fact I've even used the BBC and Wikipedia there.

Sadly, the only app allowed on the Chinese App Store, is a digital version of the little red book...

And on the American iPhone the only application you can get is one that gives you free super-sized upgrades at McDonalds :rolleyes:.

[Jonny75]

China isn't the only crippled iPhone. Some of the US allies are too! (Egypt for one has no GPS.)

This - if at the right price - could be a great business move for Apple.

And as for ludicrous statements that Apple is now the No 1 mobile phone company... there's a LONG way yet.

[kerolau]

I feel quite strange about the picture.

1. The tabs next to Apple iPhone show there would also be Android G1, Xperia X1 and Nokia N97 for Unicom customers. I don't think all these would come to China at the same time.

2. People can only choose "silver black" colour, but we know iPhone 3G is in plastic black or white.

3. Some problem on wordings. 支持 is not the best translation of "support" in Chinese, also "other MacOSX" sounds weird.

4. that typo, 07/2008

[mw2009]

I think I remember reading in an older China iPhone thread that the iPhone would cost several months' pay for many people in China. I don't know if that's true, but if it is, I doubt many Chinese people will buy an iPhone. But with over 1 billion people, even 1% marketshare would mean 10 million people.



I was going to say the exact same thing.

There two kind of people will buy iPhone. City middle class and spoiled middle school or college students. Smart phone are selling like hot cake in China. The price are from 3500-8000 Chinese Yuan (about 500-1200 US dalloar). Yet, there are no short of people buying them. Many of my Chinese friends change at least one phone per year. These people may be 1% of the market, but yeah, it's a big "1%".

[=MuLti-CeLL=]

With a new iPhone just a few months away, it would seem weird to launch the iPhone in China - today - with a year-old model. Yes?

From what little I know, doesn't the current iPhone 3G lack features the Chinese have come to expect from even their basic devices?
Sure, the 3.0 update goes a long way towards closing any [perceived] software gaps (which is already years ahead in many, important ways). But it seems like there are some hardware features (eg: camera pixel count or video recording or...) the current iPhone 3G lacks, leading me to think a successful Chinese launch would greatly depend on a hardware-revised iPhone & not the current 3G design.

I don't know...

I agree.

This is a placeholder for now and reality in July with new model. :D

[SFStateStudent]

My understanding is that China already has the "iPhonie" and it can only send/receive calls from the Ministry of State Security, and the same for SMS as well. Regardless of the number that you dial the person on the other end answers: "Ministry of State Security, how can I direct your call from your Apple/China Unicom 3G iPhone, which happens to be 12-13 months old, operating on Firmware 1.1.4, jailbroken, and how did you get those nice dangling charms attached to your iPhone?" LMAO :D:p:D:p:D:p:D:p:D:p

[mac 2005]

obviously WIFI function has been cut off by China's government.

That's not obvious at all. Having traveled to China, I found wi-fi access to be widespread and unfettered.

[BTW]

if this takes off in china, apple will be the number one mobile phone seller in the world

There's already a huge following in the jailbroke market.

Yes, the iPhone will take China by storm (not the Blackberry kind either) when they go live with China Mobile. It is ironic that it has taken this long since the iPhone is made in China.

[mikeinternet]

So they'll get the 2nd Gen right in time for the rest of the world to get the 3rd?

[sjo]

Anyone know who is the "big dog" in chinese mobile phone suppliers now? I mean the cost of the iphone will not make it #1 but I was wondering if Nokia or Samsumg are already big there or is an in country brand is the most used...
:confused:

nokia by far. they're even more dominant in smart phones with about 70% market share.

http://news.softpedia.com/newsImage/90-Percent-of-the-Chinese-Market-Goes-to-Nokia-and-Motorola-2.jpg/

[arkitect]

I am curious why people seem to think that the market in China for the iPhone would at all be interested in an outdated model?

Many of you obviously have no idea of the sophistication in urban China.

It's not all just bicycles and little red books you know.
:rolleyes:

[jdisenberg]

I think that if this Is indeed true, it is placeholder using the 2g phone. The info also says that it come with a "sync charge cradle". The iPhone 3g didn't come with this...

[Eraserhead]

I am curious why people seem to think that the market in China for the iPhone would at all be interested in an outdated model?

I think its probably a placeholder to be honest, though I'm not sure what 3G coverage is like in China as I only have a 2G phone.

[Mac-Addict]

Surely if there were to be an updated iPhone in the summer, the current iPhone wouldnt be launched with a few months before it gets updated?

[yongxiaofeng]

for most of you do not speak chinese:)

I think this site is more of a sneak peek of the upcoming 3G network

And on the iPhone's webpage, it displays Google G1 and other 3G phones at the same time.

I am not sure if it means the G1 is also going to join China Unicom.

Above is my comment based on the website.

===============================================
However, friend of my friend's dad is management team in Unicom, and he has told us, the deal between apple and China Unicom is actually done. We may see it anytime from now till summer.

[cswiger1]

till it's a "verzon has the newest iphone" rumor... it really doesn't matter to me...

...well <thinking out loud> let me look at AT&T rates. I am getting married soon...

(is it really "thinking out loud" if all you did was type it? ....probably not)

[happydude]

isn't it kinda silly to guess that WIFI would be taken off. it's not that china restricts internet access itself, it is what you can access on the internet that is restricted, right? so taking wifi off wouldn't make any sense. and since another poster has said how wifi is in starbucks, etc. i'd guess wifi will be on the iphone.

[cleanup]

There isn't really a "Big Dog" in China right now.
Mostly it's a bunch of small Chinese companies fighting against Motorola and the like.
Haven't really seen Samsung and LG there though.
But even if it does come to China, it is doubtful it will gain any market share. (IMO)
If you've ever been to China, they think that a camera phone is amazing, especially when it's above a megapixel.
If you look at the average wages in China, it's even more depressing.

Are you kidding me? Where did you visit? If you were in Beijing for the olympics, or Shanghai, certainly you saw the outrageous phones some people have over there. Plenty of people have already imported iPhones. Beyond that, high-end Sony Ericssons are popular, as are Dopods (HTCs), high-end Nokias, Samsungs, etc.

For most of the big-city dwellers in China, a nice phone is more important than a nice apartment or good food.

Many of you obviously have no idea of the sophistication in urban China.

It's not all just bicycles and little red books you know.
:rolleyes:

Well put.

[zxcvb]

obviously WIFI function has been cut off by China's government.

I never experienced wifi and internet cut-off or any website banning when I was on business trip in China Dec 2008. the whole gov-cutting-off-internet things are all malicious rumor started by bunch of jealous losers. :)

[cleanup]

I never experienced wifi and internet cut-off or any website banning when I was on business trip in China Dec 2008. the whole gov-cutting-off-internet things are all malicious rumor started by bunch of jealous losers. :)

I lived in China for two years. Some things are most certainly blocked. Often Google Images goes down. Plenty of Wikipedia articles are blocked. Entire blogging sites are unaccessible. But most things are still free for access.

Things may have changed since 2007, though, when I left.

[cameronjpu]

I saw that as well. I honestly think that China has been waging war because they know there is a new iPhone and want the newest technology , instead of bringing in the "older" model iPhones to the table.
Maybe they are going to wait to finish the deal once the new iPhone emerges and then offer the 3G iPhone as well.... Who knows....

That would really make Apple's life difficult. The production ramp that would be required to cover such a huge new market, and one that is more unknown than most, would be really tricky. Basically if they plan to wait for the V3 iPhone, I guess they'd either have to really pay up, or plan to wait until ALL the other markets are satisfied with supply.

If China is coming on board, there will be no way to keep the production spike secret, that's for sure.

[sjo]

That would really make Apple's life difficult. The production ramp that would be required to cover such a huge new market, and one that is more unknown than most, would be really tricky. Basically if they plan to wait for the V3 iPhone, I guess they'd either have to really pay up, or plan to wait until ALL the other markets are satisfied with supply.

If China is coming on board, there will be no way to keep the production spike secret, that's for sure.

no problems there. in india, a similarly huge new market, apple managed to sell a mere 11,000 phones. to put that in context, over 10,000 mobile phones are sold in india every hour...

[joelypolly]

WiFi will most likely be disabled on the iPhone as all phones that sell officially here don't have WiFi functionality. This is just how phones are sold here in China and it may or may not change with the introduction of the iPhone. :(

[Xibalba]

China's average consumer has always been way ahead technologically speaking in the mobile phone market. i, as others have said, do believe as well that the info is a placeholder and they will be getting the newest iphone technology that the government and carrier will allow.

while the government has a significant filter on all communications from television to internet, WiFi works just fine there - even back in 2005 on my month-long business trip.

and yes, this would be a significant boost to apple revenue and the ever-rapidly expanding iphone user base.

[Xibalba]

I never experienced wifi and internet cut-off or any website banning when I was on business trip in China Dec 2008. the whole gov-cutting-off-internet things are all malicious rumor started by bunch of jealous losers. :)

let's hope that is sarcasm as there is definitely a significant amount of websites and television programs that are heavily censored - or even completely blocked in China. not sure what sites you browsed on your trip but IP filtering exists in China - that there is no debate. there is a lot of internet out there though...

[sh.sean]

Hi, let me put some facts about Mobile carriers market and iphone situation in China:

1) Wifi hot spot is everywhere in large cities like Beijing and Shanghai. However it is true that EVERY smartphone officially sold in China will be disabled Wifi function. This is requested by the government.

2) 3G is coming very soon in China. But different carriers adopted different 3G standards. The No. 1 carrier China Mobile (more than 70% market share, 140 million subscribers!) has a major obstacle taking iphone -- its 3G standard (TDSCDMA) won't work on iphone! So will Apple allow a heavily crippled iphone (no wifi, no 3G) to be sold in China? I doubt.

3) Iphone price won't be a problem. There are plenty of hi-end phones doing well in the market, all around iphone's price point(4000 RMB, 600 dollars). People love iphone here, it is not only a gadget but also a symbol of status.

[dvdhsu]

I am curious why people seem to think that the market in China for the iPhone would at all be interested in an outdated model?

Many of you obviously have no idea of the sophistication in urban China.

It's not all just bicycles and little red books you know.
:rolleyes:

Ah, trust me, I go there often.
Who have you seen with an iPod in China?
When I went to China to get a charger for my iPod Touch, they goggled at my iPod Touch like it was amazing.
Probably the first one they touched, and the last one too.
No offense meant of course.
But the thing is that there are a few rich people in China.
And those rich people are very rich.
No way would the middle class be able to afford an iPhone.
The only customers in China would be those CEOs strutting around.
Oh, and those Chinese gangsters in the old Chinese movies.
Like the one with the round sunglasses.
Imagine gangsters with iPhones.
Remote detonation, iFart. :D

[dvdhsu]

I lived in China for two years. Some things are most certainly blocked. Often Google Images goes down. Plenty of Wikipedia articles are blocked. Entire blogging sites are unaccessible. But most things are still free for access.

Things may have changed since 2007, though, when I left.
It's actually gotten worse.
I never experienced wifi and internet cut-off or any website banning when I was on business trip in China Dec 2008. the whole gov-cutting-off-internet things are all malicious rumor started by bunch of jealous losers. :)

I have no idea what you're talking about here.
YouTube is often blocked, and the whole iTunes store was blocked for about 3 months because it was selling the album "Free Tibet".
And BlogSpot is usually blocked too.

[kockgunner]

if this takes off in china, apple will be the number one mobile phone seller in the world

Word. Too bad this deal was made 1 year after the fact. I'm sure it will still get popular though.

[sh.sean]

Ah, trust me, I go there often.
Who have you seen with an iPod in China?
When I went to China to get a charger for my iPod Touch, they goggled at my iPod Touch like it was amazing.
Probably the first one they touched, and the last one too.
No offense meant of course.
But the thing is that there are a few rich people in China.
And those rich people are very rich.
No way would the middle class be able to afford an iPhone.
The only customers in China would be those CEOs strutting around.
Oh, and those Chinese gangsters in the old Chinese movies.
Like the one with the round sunglasses.
Imagine gangsters with iPhones.
Remote detonation, iFart. :D

Where have you been? Try the subway at Shanghai, you will probably see people using iphones and ipods almost every time you being on the train. And rich people usually don't take metro!

[tracyneil]

Ah, trust me, I go there often.
Who have you seen with an iPod in China?
When I went to China to get a charger for my iPod Touch, they goggled at my iPod Touch like it was amazing.
Probably the first one they touched, and the last one too.
No offense meant of course.
But the thing is that there are a few rich people in China.
And those rich people are very rich.
No way would the middle class be able to afford an iPhone.
The only customers in China would be those CEOs strutting around.
Oh, and those Chinese gangsters in the old Chinese movies.
Like the one with the round sunglasses.
Imagine gangsters with iPhones.
Remote detonation, iFart. :D

http://www.weiphone.com/

[thelookingglass]

Where have you been? Try the subway at Shanghai, you will probably see people using iphones and ipods almost every time you being on the train. And rich people usually don't take metro!

I agree. iPhones are everywhere in China these days.

Regarding the WIFI issue, it's one thing to not OFFICIALLY sell phones with WIFI capabilities. I'm sure most of the iPhones purchased in China, even after China Unicom's official launch, will be of the UNOFFICIAL variety. (Reminds me of WII/PS3 purchases here ... few people buy OFFICIALLY sold units; almost everyone has a unit that's been modified to play copied games).

[corywoolf]

Mr Fusion:
"There is no market in China. They assemble it all and probably get enough "freebies" off the line to satisfy the few who want Apple products.

Smug CEO's selling designer products at ridiculously high markups is a SoCal and European market, not the Chinese."

http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=6977933&postcount=104

[burro]

I sure HOPE the iPhone 3.0 SDK lets developers give us BT and/or wired ability to enter and edit text with a (fold-up, e.g.) keyboard.

anyone have a word on that?

Until then, for me, it is just a toy.

[iSamurai]

obviously WIFI function has been cut off by China's government.
adding onto that, will WIFI really breach national security??? more like it's gonna be used for p**n. :eek: it's ridiculous if there's no WIFI.

...and if it's the carrier that's disabling WIFI so that users must pay more than ever... crazy. on the other hand, some guy in china will probably hack the phone to patch WIFI if that's the case. <__< it'd be interesting to see if that'll happen.


3. SMS will be disabled or strictly monitored.
hahahahaha have you ever been to China mate? how 'bout voice calls are disabled too! SMSes are monitored but I don't think you can call a mobile cellular device a "phone" anymore if there's not even an SMS feature lol. we're not back in the old days when phones are bricks...

[Eraserhead]

WiFi will most likely be disabled on the iPhone as all phones that sell officially here don't have WiFi functionality. This is just how phones are sold here in China and it may or may not change with the introduction of the iPhone. :(

Are you sure it isn't the carrier trying to make more money? Given the number of WiFi hotspots that seems likely.

Where have you been? Try the subway at Shanghai, you will probably see people using iphones and ipods almost every time you being on the train. And rich people usually don't take metro!

It depends what you mean by rich, the rich only don't take the metro in the US. In other countries well off people take public transport a lot more, in London for example you see bankers on the Tube. I'm sure though that the really rich people don't use the metro in Shanghai.

Ah, trust me, I go there often.
Who have you seen with an iPod in China?
When I went to China to get a charger for my iPod Touch, they goggled at my iPod Touch like it was amazing.
Probably the first one they touched, and the last one too.
No offense meant of course.
But the thing is that there are a few rich people in China.
And those rich people are very rich.
No way would the middle class be able to afford an iPhone.
The only customers in China would be those CEOs strutting around.
Oh, and those Chinese gangsters in the old Chinese movies.
Like the one with the round sunglasses.
Imagine gangsters with iPhones.
Remote detonation, iFart. :D

I don't imagine anyone is saying the market for iPhone is more than 1-2% in China. And people get impressed by the iPhone in all sorts of places - even in fully first world countries like New Zealand.

[rekhyt]

Good to hear, I don't see why it took this long to arrive there in the first place.

So they are only getting the 2G version, rather then the 3G's??

I can't really tell if it's the 2 or the 3. $228 sounds like a great price for me, if you don't have to jailbreak it. ... Let's see how much the "plan" costs. :\

Update: ... No Wifi? o.0 Noooooooo!

Update again: :\ It says the estimate for it going to the market is July 2008. Possible typo, or just... Delayed stuff?

[Mackan]

Communist China. I wish Apple could leave that market alone.

[yongxiaofeng]

Ah, trust me, I go there often.
Who have you seen with an iPod in China?
When I went to China to get a charger for my iPod Touch, they goggled at my iPod Touch like it was amazing.
Probably the first one they touched, and the last one too.
No offense meant of course.
But the thing is that there are a few rich people in China.
And those rich people are very rich.
No way would the middle class be able to afford an iPhone.
The only customers in China would be those CEOs strutting around.
Oh, and those Chinese gangsters in the old Chinese movies.
Like the one with the round sunglasses.
Imagine gangsters with iPhones.
Remote detonation, iFart. :D

seems you are interested in something else
NOT sure which part of china did you went to.
I have got my first iPod when I was in high school.
And I have to say I am not belong to rich people class,
because I have to work my ass off in Canada to earn my tripled international student rate tuition.
And I am paying everything by myself, because my famliy could not support me anymore.
I can only thing you do not know much, and you certainly misunderstood chinese people when you were in China

[yongxiaofeng]

It's actually gotten worse.


I have no idea what you're talking about here.
YouTube is often blocked, and the whole iTunes store was blocked for about 3 months because it was selling the album "Free Tibet".
And BlogSpot is usually blocked too.


Don't want get into the Tibet thing, but the timing when they released the album was very good though. It was right before the olympic started.
yeah we even made a website called, http://www.stevejobsyousuck.com

come to check out....

[=MuLti-CeLL=]

This story on Engadget this morning claims that China Unicom is now confirmed to have the iPhone and word on the street is that it has a launch date for May 17th.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/25/unicom-confirmed-as-chinese-iphone-provider/

So they are going to release the current 3g iPhone over there late May and then Apple release a new iPhone (possibly) a month later? Doesn't make much sense. You think China, for as technologically advanced as they are, would hold off on the deal for new, faster hardware in June. Unless (1) Apple is planning on releasing a new model in May so that everyone who's gonna buy one will be already set and ready to go when 3.0 is finally released or...(2) There isn't going to be a new model this time around or...(3) China won't get the new model immediately, if one is in fact released or....or....or....

:D

Your thoughts?

[dvdhsu]

Communist China. I wish Apple could leave that market alone.
Same.
seems you are interested in something else
NOT sure which part of china did you went to.
I have got my first iPod when I was in high school.
And I have to say I am not belong to rich people class,
because I have to work my ass off in Canada to earn my tripled international student rate tuition.
And I am paying everything by myself, because my famliy could not support me anymore.
I can only thing you do not know much, and you certainly misunderstood chinese people when you were in China
Well, I'm Chinese too.
The thing is, it depends where you live. The difference between the rich and and the poor is incredible in China. I'm guessing you live in Shanghai/Beijing.
People who live in other regions, for example: Heifei, don't even dream of having an iPod. The salesperson stared at my iPod Touch for around 30 minutes, while she was supposed to be finding a charger for it.
I'm very glad that you're also from China, and you're working hard.
I wish you the best.
Don't want get into the Tibet thing, but the timing when they released the album was very good though. It was right before the olympic started.
yeah we even made a website called, http://www.stevejobsyousuck.com

come to check out....

Yeah, I do have to agree, the timing was perfect. However, it was a pretty big mistake to block the iTunes store, during the Olympics, as all the foreign tourists would be using it.
I personally think it's a mistake on China's part.
Also, I don't think you could blame Steve Jobs for admitting an album into the iTunes store.
He didn't have any say in it, the records submitted it, and the people approved it.

[dvdhsu]

This story on Engadget this morning claims that China Unicom is now confirmed to have the iPhone and word on the street is that it has a launch date for May 17th.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/25/unicom-confirmed-as-chinese-iphone-provider/

So they are going to release the current 3g iPhone over there late May and then Apple release a new iPhone (possibly) a month later? Doesn't make much sense. You think China, for as technologically advanced as they are, would hold off on the deal for new, faster hardware in June. Unless (1) Apple is planning on releasing a new model in May so that everyone who's gonna buy one will be already set and ready to go when 3.0 is finally released or...(2) There isn't going to be a new model this time around or...(3) China won't get the new model immediately, if one is in fact released or....or....or....

:D

Your thoughts?

I'm thinking #2. There isn't really a chance of Apple releasing 3rd generation iPhone just for China, and holding it off from all the other countries.
Maybe iPhone Nano?

[mw2009]

Same.

Well, I'm Chinese too.
The thing is, it depends where you live. The difference between the rich and and the poor is incredible in China. I'm guessing you live in Shanghai/Beijing.
People who live in other regions, for example: Heifei, don't even dream of having an iPod. The salesperson stared at my iPod Touch for around 30 minutes, while she was supposed to be finding a charger for it.
I'm very glad that you're also from China, and you're working hard.
I wish you the best.


Yeah, I do have to agree, the timing was perfect. However, it was a pretty big mistake to block the iTunes store, during the Olympics, as all the foreign tourists would be using it.
I personally think it's a mistake on China's part.
Also, I don't think you could blame Steve Jobs for admitting an album into the iTunes store.
He didn't have any say in it, the records submitted it, and the people approved it.

I am sure many people will be impressed by iPod touch. When I first saw it, I was impressed too. I even went to apple store to just look at it. Anyway, as a Chinese and an apple fan myself, I am happy that apple getting into Chinese market. Can't wait for the iPhone China release! Cheers!:D

[rekhyt]

I am sure many people will be impressed by iPod touch. When I first saw it, I was impressed too. I even went to apple store to just look at it. Anyway, as a Chinese and an apple fan myself, I am happy that apple getting into Chinese market. Can't wait for the iPhone China release! Cheers!:D

I haven't really noticed about people looking at my iPod Touch. Probably because I don't bring it outside. :\

Anyways-What I'm worried right now is the contract for the iPhone. I have a feeling it's going to be quite expensive. :\

Update: It might be ironic that people would be jailbreaking just to get wireless.

[sohaness]

here's hoping for s.korea next!

[nick9191]

Finally the country that actually makes the phones, sells them.

[zxcvb]

Ah, trust me, I go there often.
Who have you seen with an iPod in China?
When I went to China to get a charger for my iPod Touch, they goggled at my iPod Touch like it was amazing.
Probably the first one they touched, and the last one too.
No offense meant of course.
But the thing is that there are a few rich people in China.
And those rich people are very rich.
No way would the middle class be able to afford an iPhone.
The only customers in China would be those CEOs strutting around.
Oh, and those Chinese gangsters in the old Chinese movies.
Like the one with the round sunglasses.
Imagine gangsters with iPhones.
Remote detonation, iFart. :D

Don't flatter yourself, please, the cheapest cellphone model in china 8 years ago is twice as much as iphone costs, and every college kids had one.

[zxcvb]

Communist China. I wish Apple could leave that market alone.

yeah , let their market growth continues alone and apple rotten in recession.