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Apple Shipping Low-Cost iPhone to China Mobile

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MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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After years of ongoing negotiations, it appears that Apple and China Mobile have finally reached a deal that will see China's largest carrier offer the iPhone. According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple is currently preparing to ship the new low-cost iPhone "5C" to the carrier.
A deal would cap years of negotiations between the two companies. Apple has tried to hammer out a deal with China's largest wireless carrier that has 700 million subscribers, seven times the size of the U.S.'s largest wireless carrier Verizon Wireless. Greater China is Apple's third biggest market after the U.S. and Europe in terms of sales.

Apple has asked Foxconn, its longtime contract manufacturing partner, to add China Mobile to the list of carriers slated to receive a new low-cost iPhone, one of these people said. It isn't clear when the phones would be delivered.
Click to expand...
Reaching a deal with China Mobile has not been an easy feat for Apple, and the two companies have been in negotiations and talks for more than two years.

low_cost_iphone_render_colors-800x450.jpg
Rendering of Apple's Low-Cost iPhone 5C​
Much of the problem stemmed from China Mobile's use of TD-SCDMA, which Apple's iPhones have not previously supported, though revenue share terms were also an issue. Tim Cook met with China Mobile officials several times over the course of the year and in August, China Mobile chairman Xi Guohua reported that the company was close to achieving an agreement with Apple.

Apple's lower-cost iPhone, which has been developed primarily for emerging markets like China, is expected to carry a price tag between $400 to $500, making it more affordable than alternatives like the upcoming flagship iPhone 5S. Apple will announce its new iPhone lineup on September 10, with an event to follow in Beijing on September 11.

While China Unicom and China Telecom are expected to receive the iPhone on September 20, China Mobile's launch could come somewhat later because of the need for regulatory approval on the TD-SCDMA compatible iPhone.

Update: According to Bloomberg, a deal is close to being finalized, but it will not be announced during the September 10 iPhone event.

Article Link: Apple Shipping Low-Cost iPhone to China Mobile
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2013/09/06/apple-shipping-low-cost-iphone-to-china-mobile/
R

Ryth

macrumors 68000
Apr 21, 2011
1,591
157
...and one of the last strongholds/strangleholds of Android is about to fall.

Folks...the marketshare % is about to take a drastic swing worldwide.

It already had shifted in the US when T-Mobile finally got the iPhone 5 in the spring leaving Android in the USA no place to hide.

With the iPhone appearing on more and more carriers where Android has had exclusivity is going to bring their % tumbling down.

Can't wait for the analysts to try to spin this one.
 
T

theheadguy

macrumors 65816
Apr 26, 2005
1,156
1,385
california
Ryth said:
...and one of the last strongholds/strangleholds of Android is about to fall. Folks...the marketshare % is about to take a drastic swing worldwide. It already has shifted in the US when T-Mobile finally got it and Android no longer had a place to hide.
Click to expand...
Oh get off it already. It would be a great disservice to us if the market became >90% iPhone.
 
R

rmwebs

macrumors 68040
Apr 6, 2007
3,140
0
Hasn't MacRumors already reported this news about 5 times in the last week alone? We get it. China Mobile is about to get the iPhone5c.

----------
Ryth said:
...and one of the last strongholds/strangleholds of Android is about to fall.

Folks...the marketshare % is about to take a drastic swing worldwide.

It already had shifted in the US when T-Mobile finally got the iPhone 5 in the spring leaving Android in the USA no place to hide.
Click to expand...

I highly doubt that, but even if it was the case - that is not in any way a good thing.

The only thing forcing Apple to do things like look into bigger screens is Android's dominance of the low-priced markets.
 
Dr McKay

Dr McKay

macrumors 68040
Aug 11, 2010
3,430
57
Kirkland
Ryth said:
...and one of the last strongholds/strangleholds of Android is about to fall.

Folks...the marketshare % is about to take a drastic swing worldwide.

It already had shifted in the US when T-Mobile finally got the iPhone 5 in the spring leaving Android in the USA no place to hide.

With the iPhone appearing on more and more carriers where Android has had exclusivity is going to bring their % tumbling down.

Can't wait for the analysts to try to spin this one.
Click to expand...

Nobody truly knows how many Android Devices there are in China, because there are so many Android Handsets that don't have Google Play connectivity, so Google can't "see" them.
 
R

Ryth

macrumors 68000
Apr 21, 2011
1,591
157
theheadguy said:
Oh get off it already. It would be a great disservice to us if the market became >90% iPhone.
Click to expand...

No it wouldn't. By the time it reaches that, there will be a new product that we all move to and mobile phones are obsolete devices. Technology continually advances. 5 years ago, the iPhone didn't exist, 5 years from now it will be dying off like the iPod.
 
U

user-name-here

macrumors 65816
Aug 31, 2013
1,111
1
I just hope the lower cost 5C isn't a exclusive for China, with U.S. and other nations only getting the more expensive 5S.

While I'll most likely go with the 5S anyways there should be equality of options available for all nations.
 
Steve121178

Steve121178

macrumors 603
Apr 13, 2010
6,400
6,951
Bedfordshire, UK
Ryth said:
...and one of the last strongholds/strangleholds of Android is about to fall.

Folks...the marketshare % is about to take a drastic swing worldwide.

It already had shifted in the US when T-Mobile finally got the iPhone 5 in the spring leaving Android in the USA no place to hide.

With the iPhone appearing on more and more carriers where Android has had exclusivity is going to bring their % tumbling down.

Can't wait for the analysts to try to spin this one.
Click to expand...

Why do you assume they will choose an iPhone by default? They are probably more than happy with how open Android is, so while I am sure iPhone sales will pick up I doubt this is the Android crusher you believe it will be.
 
R

Ryth

macrumors 68000
Apr 21, 2011
1,591
157
Steve121178 said:
Why do you assume they will choose an iPhone by default? They are probably more than happy with how open Android is, so while I am sure iPhone sales will pick up I doubt this is the Android crusher you believe it will be.
Click to expand...

Because the same assumptions have been made everywhere and everywhere the iPhone appears, it takes the majority of % of share.

They said the same thing about T-Mobile. iPhone has been out for a while and T-Mobile is more Android type people. And low and behold, iPhone takes the #1 sales slot from them also. People want the iPhone and with the new 5c, it's even more reasons for the mid range/low to possibly buy it.

I guess we'll see right?
 
woodekm

woodekm

macrumors 65816
Feb 24, 2008
1,066
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LOOK! Carnival toys! Hit the rubber clown and get your girlfriend one!
 
iSee

iSee

macrumors 68040
Oct 25, 2004
3,539
272
MacRumors said:
Much of the problem stemmed from China Mobile's use of TD-SCDMA...
Click to expand...

Yes, that is a nearly insurmountable hurdle for a technically inexperienced company like Apple. :rolleyes:

I think the deal may have hinged on the dollars.
 
T

Thunderstrike76

macrumors regular
Feb 8, 2012
132
298
Just to be clear china is on the otherside of the world making them 13 hours ahead of us. So September 11 in china is the same day as September 10 here in the US. There is not a Separate event just for china on September 11.
 
O

Oui

macrumors 6502
Nov 9, 2012
315
0
Im betting the 5C is for china only. Perhaps this is what the C stands for.
 
tubular

tubular

macrumors 65816
Oct 19, 2011
1,291
3,109
You know what will be great about this launch?

There won't be daily updates here on exactly precisely which shade of gold these phones will be, and what the connector to their home button looks like. Talk about beating a dead horse into horse powder.
 
jrswizzle

jrswizzle

macrumors 603
Aug 23, 2012
6,107
129
McKinney, TX
Thunderstrike76 said:
Just to be clear china is on the otherside of the world making them 13 hours ahead of us. So September 11 in china is the same day as September 10 here in the US. There is not a Separate event just for china on September 11.
Click to expand...

Ha, good catch.....

What's Apple's marketshare currently in China? And they've done it with their devices available to less than half of smartphone buying populace there.....

Like it or not, this deal and the release of the 5C will signal a major shift in marketshare. It'll confirm the idea that Apple hasn't been playing the marketshare game at this point - which has contributed to Android's supposed dominance.

Have ya'll ever stopped to think that if Apple achieved a huge marketshare percentage, perhaps that means most people don't HAVE TO HAVE larger screens? Just a little thinking outside your own little bubble.....

I know the prevailing thinking is that Android dominates because its OEMs offer larger displays and better specs - and that people want this. If the marketshare DOES change relatively drastically, this could be proof the REAL reason Android dominates is because of all the cheap options and the lack of competition in areas like China.
 
C

cuj0

macrumors newbie
Jun 10, 2007
1
0
Thunderstrike76 said:
Just to be clear china is on the otherside of the world making them 13 hours ahead of us. So September 11 in china is the same day as September 10 here in the US. There is not a Separate event just for china on September 11.
Click to expand...

The event is still 9 hours after the US event. Wether it is a new keynote or just a translated repeat of the California one remains to be seen.
 
Popeye206

Popeye206

macrumors 68040
Sep 6, 2007
3,148
836
NE PA USA
All the goofy comments aside... this is great news for Apple and great for the shareholders. :)

Looking forward to next week.
 
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