China Mobile Stores Going All Out for iPhone and iPad Promotion

MacRumors · Dec 13, 2013

Following the start of pre-orders for the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c on China Mobile earlier this week, new photos from PRC and ME show just how much the world's largest carrier is emphasizing its launch of Apple's products.

The carrier's relatively small store at the Link City shopping mall in Shenzhen is covered in Apple promotional signage, including wall-mounted banners and a large scrolling digital ribbon sign advertising discounted pricing on the new iPhones, extra free-standing signage, and even a flatscreen television replaying video of Apple's iPhone 5s/5c introduction from September.

Not only were there Apple advertisements all over the place, but even Phil Schiller was present, his A7 chip announcement playing on a flatscreen TV. A majority of the ad and display space in the store had been dedicated to Apple. If this is any indication, China Mobile is planning to aggressively promote their new Apple partnership in the hopes of blunting any advances from China Unicom and Telecom.

One of the store's two display tables is entirely devoted to Apple products, with iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPad, and iPad mini units on display for customers to try out, extra iPhone 5c samples showing the various color options, and a China Mobile salesperson staffing the table at a large iMac.

The China Mobile iPhone launch comes just as market research firm Counterpoint Research revealed a significant jump in Apple's smartphone market share in China in October, with Apple leaping from sixth place to third with over 10% of the market on the strength of the iPhone 5s and 5c launches. With China Mobile opening iPhone availability up to millions of potential new customers beyond launch partners China Unicom and China Telecom, Apple is clearly looking to make a significant move in the world's largest market.

Article Link: China Mobile Stores Going All Out for iPhone and iPad Promotion

iomar · Dec 13, 2013

Wow, I am sure they are very excited. Good for them!

macs4nw · Dec 13, 2013

In the Chinese market, going by that graph, Apple will overtake Lenovo at the very least.

newdeal · Dec 13, 2013

This is going to be huge. I just put all my money in Apple stock (not that much)

Rogifan · Dec 13, 2013

So has Apple confirmed this? Seems odd we wouldn't get a press release or something.

Born Again · Dec 13, 2013

Wow nobody showed up to the launch event!

That has to be the worst launch since the Verizon iPhone!

One Asian girl in line?!

spyguy10709 · Dec 13, 2013

As an apple shareholder, this makes me very, very happy.

As an apple fan, this also makes me happy - millions of people that wanted the iPhone can finally get one, legally! The more people that experience the iPhone, the better the world will be

(and I'm not kidding, iPhones bring people closer, and connect our world in a way that nothing else can... it's amazing

)

monaarts · Dec 13, 2013

macs4nw said:
In the Chinese market, going by that graph, Apple will overtake Lenovo at the very least.

I think they'll overtake Samsung, atleast until the Samsung Galaxy S5 (or whatever) is released.

joltheadq · Dec 13, 2013

Those same white top tables can be found in the SAMSUNG Stores @ Best Buy

Constable Odo · Dec 13, 2013

Most of Wall Street believes Apple will sell about a few million iPhones, tops, on China Mobile's network. That's out of China Mobile's 750 million subscribers. Apple is estimated to sell about measly 1% of iPhones out of China Mobile's entire user base. Quite a bit of confidence in Apple... NOT! Apple is being majorly disrespected by Wall Street and there's no one from Apple willing to step up and tell them to go to hell.

tootall · Dec 13, 2013

Constable Odo said:
Most of Wall Street believes Apple will sell about a few million iPhones, tops, on China Mobile's network. That's out of China Mobile's 750 million subscribers. Apple is estimated to sell about measly 1% of iPhones out of China Mobile's entire user base. Quite a bit of confidence in Apple... NOT! Apple is being majorly disrespected by Wall Street and there's no one from Apple willing to step up and tell them to go to hell.

Consumers will tell them with their wallet...

Rogifan · Dec 13, 2013

Constable Odo said:
Most of Wall Street believes Apple will sell about a few million iPhones, tops, on China Mobile's network. That's out of China Mobile's 750 million subscribers. Apple is estimated to sell about measly 1% of iPhones out of China Mobile's entire user base. Quite a bit of confidence in Apple... NOT! Apple is being majorly disrespected by Wall Street and there's no one from Apple willing to step up and tell them to go to hell.

What's your source for "most of Wall Street"?

bushido · Dec 13, 2013

great ... more teenagers selling their organs / getting them stolen, just to be an apple device

Constable Odo · Dec 13, 2013

monaarts said:
I think they'll overtake Samsung, atleast until the Samsung Galaxy S5 (or whatever) is released.

Apple overtaking Samsung is not going to happen. Of course, the iPhone 5s will certainly outsell the Galaxy S5 but that's nothing to boast about. Samsung is going to go all out to ruin Apple in China by shipping so many various models of smartphones it's going to make your head spin. Apple doesn't stand a snowball's chance in hell in getting within miles of Samsung sales. We'll just have to listen to Tim Cook glibly saying how Apple doesn't go after market share and that will be the end of that. Samsung does intend to go after market share and will own China Mobile by the middle of next year. Apple will again end up on Wall Street's sh*tlist and Apple shareholders will be thoroughly reamed. Pathetic.

Tiger8 · Dec 13, 2013

spyguy10709 said:
(and I'm not kidding, iPhones bring people closer, and connect our world in a way that nothing else can... it's amazing )

I banned iPhones (and smartphones) from all meetings at work.

ChrisA · Dec 13, 2013

joltheadq said:
Those same white top tables can be found in the SAMSUNG Stores @ Best Buy

Yes. A table company that sold only to one customer would quickly go broke. How many stores does Apple open a year. Let's by optimistic and guess 10 new stores. With 15 tables in each store. So Apple buys 150 tables every year. A company could not make money selling so few. So they limey market to "everyone". I'm not surprised to see these same tables (with some minor difference) in every store.

Same goes for the selling at Home Depot. That stuff is used in most places where big industrial shelving is needed.

spyguy10709 · Dec 13, 2013

Constable Odo said:
Most of Wall Street believes Apple will sell about a few million iPhones, tops, on China Mobile's network. That's out of China Mobile's 750 million subscribers. Apple is estimated to sell about measly 1% of iPhones out of China Mobile's entire user base. Quite a bit of confidence in Apple... NOT! Apple is being majorly disrespected by Wall Street and there's no one from Apple willing to step up and tell them to go to hell.

1% of 750 million is still 7.5 Million iPhones. That's over 4.875 BILLION US dollars in revenue.

When's the last time you made 4.875 BILLION in revenue?

Anyway -

No one is dissing Apple on Wall Street. There's investors that are rightfully upset at Apple for holding all their cash. Remember - shareholders OWN a company. It's not about "greedy rich guys" - admittedly, they're greedy, and many are rich - but they rightfully own a slice of Apple, and when Apple does something that isn't going to make them profit, like hoard cash - instead of investing it or spending it, that's a problem. Many companies, like Apple, give their investors a dividend, or recurring payment for their ownership of the stock. Many argue that Apple has amassed so much money, that it's the time to either do something with it or give it to the shareholders directly. (A move that would mean a LOT of money in TAXES - both on the transaction, and on the income! So don't say that rich people don't pay taxes, here.)

I'm an Apple shareholder. I don't own much, and I want Apple to do what's best for themselves, but they have to recognize - WALL STREET owns Apple - not Apple itself.

</rant>

----------

Tiger8 said:
I banned iPhones (and smartphones) from all meetings at work.

Uh...
...
...

Okay?

Wingsy · Dec 13, 2013

Copy In Reverse

monaarts said:
I think they'll overtake Samsung, atleast until the Samsung Galaxy S5 (or whatever) is released.

Samsung even copied the letter and number in Apple's latest phone. They had to reverse the letters so they wouldn't get sued, just like they had to reverse engineer the iPhone to copy it too. \s

Jbenn425 · Dec 13, 2013

Sounds like a great time to be a stock holder.

jimi78 · Dec 13, 2013

I guess tights as pants equally translates to all cultures. I just wonder if as many girls in China are doing squats and lunges as the ones in the US.

That is what we should have...a "glute off" to see who is the dominant Nation

Plutonius · Dec 13, 2013

Tiger8 said:
I banned iPhones (and smartphones) from all meetings at work.

I think more will get done if you also ban meetings at work.

ssspinball · Dec 13, 2013

spyguy10709 said:
I don't own much, and I want Apple to do what's best for themselves, but they have to recognize - WALL STREET owns Apple - not Apple itself.

So you want Apple to do what's best for themselves but ALSO want them to do what's best for Wall Street.

You almost made the exact case for why Apple should continue hording money: They'll eventually be able to go private and get that stupid wall street monkey off their back.

(I don't think that's likely, but it certainly would be a good reason for building up their bank account).

AppleScruff1 · Dec 13, 2013

spyguy10709 said:
As an apple shareholder, this makes me very, very happy.

As an apple fan, this also makes me happy - millions of people that wanted the iPhone can finally get one, legally! The more people that experience the iPhone, the better the world will be

(and I'm not kidding, iPhones bring people closer, and connect our world in a way that nothing else can... it's amazing )

This has to be the funniest post I have read here for a long time!

158274 · Dec 13, 2013

spyguy10709 said:
The more people that experience the iPhone, the better the world will be

An iPhone in every pocket.

DaveN · Dec 13, 2013

spyguy10709 said:
WALL STREET owns Apple - not Apple itself.

Not really. Stockholders around the world own Apple. Wall Street just plays the broker/manipulator to get their cut without the risk.

China Mobile Stores Going All Out for iPhone and iPad Promotion

macrumors bot

macrumors 6502

macrumors 601

macrumors 68030

macrumors Penryn

Suspended

macrumors 65816

macrumors 65816

macrumors newbie

macrumors 6502

macrumors regular

macrumors Penryn

Suspended

macrumors 6502

macrumors 68020

macrumors G5

macrumors 65816

macrumors member

macrumors regular

macrumors regular

macrumors G3

macrumors 6502

macrumors G4

macrumors member

macrumors 6502a

Our Staff