China Unicom's 100,000 iPhone 4s Insufficient for Pre-Order Demand

[MacRumors]

IDG News Service reports that China Unicom has sold out of its initial shipment of nearly 100,000 iPhone 4s in the four days since the device launched in that country. With the company having taken 200,000 pre-orders for the iPhone 4, the carrier has been unable to meet demand and has stopped taking new online reservations as it awaits a second shipment due to arrive by the end of the week.

The massive demand for the product outpaces last year's official launch of the iPhone 3G and 3GS in China. During that period, it had taken over a month before China Unicom had announced it sold 100,000 iPhone units.

The iPhone 4 was officially launched in China last Saturday, with the popularity of the device causing retail outlets in the country to sell out of the product.

While a launch performance of 100,000 units is far short of the 1.7 million handsets shipped on the iPhone 4's initial launch weekend in the U.S. and four other countries in late June, it still marks a substantial improvement over earlier launches in the country.

The report also notes that China Unicom has announced that it has 10 million 3G users, compared to [url="http://www.chinaunicom.com.hk/en/investor/ir_data.html"]150 million subscribers on its 2G network. That data indicates that China Unicom's customers are only beginning to move to the more advanced 3G network and handsets such as the iPhone, but with its 3G subscriber base growing by nearly 12% in August alone, China Unicom appears poised to experience an explosion in the adoption of the iPhone and other data-intensive smartphones.

Article Link: China Unicom's 100,000 iPhone 4s Insufficient for Pre-Order Demand

 

[maxmara2]

that is incredible

 

[dcescott]

Well, given the population and density in Bejiing for instance. That would be correct.

 

[iZac]

At least those iPhones have a lower carbon footprint!

 

[Wurm5150]

Couldn't they just walk across the street to Foxconn and get some more?

 

[JGowan]

That's one iPhone 4 sold every 17.36 seconds! Kind of popular, I'd say!

 

[Brinkman]

At least those iPhones have a lower carbon footprint!

I'd love the day apple products say "Assembled and designed in California"

 

[Jaro65]

I'd love the day apple products say "Assembled and designed in California"

Not only you.... We're all happy that Apple is successful as we enjoy our Apple products. But...it would be nice if more workers here in the US could benefit from our purchases.

 

[The 801]

Ah, the rise of the status class, one of the side benefits of a keeping the exchange rate artificially low.

 

[kdarling]

So is the story that Apple couldn't make enough iPhone 4s for China? (Which seems to be a worldwide problem.)

Or is it that Apple's sales staff miscalculated how many would initially sell, and didn't allocate enough iPhones?

 

[giosaccone]

that is incredible

Very very incredible ()

 

[SandynJosh]

So is the story that Apple couldn't make enough iPhone 4s for China? (Which seems to be a worldwide problem.)

Or is it that Apple's sales staff miscalculated how many would initially sell, and didn't allocate enough iPhones?

It took China a month or so to sell 100,000 iPhones last year. Who'd have thought that this year it would only take 4 days?

 

[Craiglorocks]

On a side note, has anyone else felt the white iPhone has fallen off of the map? I have not heard anything of it making an appearance through the new country launches.

 

[xxgilxx]

Ask me if I care about china...

 

[reckless2k2]

Not only you.... We're all happy that Apple is successful as we enjoy our Apple products. But...it would be nice if more workers here in the US could benefit from our purchases.

Well we (Americans) have a global responsibility that's more important now. Think of all of the Chinese that benefit from our purchases. Let's not forget the transportation mediums as well. We (Americans) can "afford" to outsource these functions. Do you sense my sarcasm at all? Ya feelin' me? Haha

 

[skeep5]

Ask me if I care about china...

Do you care about china

 

[zxcvb]

Ask me if I care about china...

I dont care about asking

 

[3583582]

Not only you.... We're all happy that Apple is successful as we enjoy our Apple products. But...it would be nice if more workers here in the US could benefit from our purchases.

Well, I would say that you already are benefiting from it as China is saving your ass right now because of stuff like this.

 

[ToM7]

Very very incredible ()

very very very incredible dam this is not real

 

[paul4339]

So is the story that Apple couldn't make enough iPhone 4s for China? (Which seems to be a worldwide problem.)

Or is it that Apple's sales staff miscalculated how many would initially sell, and didn't allocate enough iPhones?

There's also the possibility of intentionally allocating a smaller amount you know will sell out quickly.

(that is, there are waiting lists for sure buyers in other places, so it's safer to allocate a smaller initial amount that will sell in China)

P.

 

[joshsand66]

How much

I'd like to know how much they are charging for each Iphone.

 

[SockRolid]

China Telecom next?

Those millions of CDMA chips Apple snapped up are probably not for Verizon-enabled iPhones. Most likely for China Telecom, which runs a CDMA network and has 75 million mobile subscribers.

Verizon seems to be the Great White Hope of the Android crowd now, after launching their own Android VCAST Store. Or maybe not. VZ also replaced Google search with Bing and Google Maps with Bing Maps on at least one of their devices. And the word "Android" isn't mentioned anywhere on those devices either.

It could be that Verizon is sending a shot across Google's bow, to prepare them for the harsh reality of a Verizon iPhone. Eventually. Maybe in 2012-2013, after the real 4G rollout begins...

 

[nastebu]

Not only you.... We're all happy that Apple is successful as we enjoy our Apple products. But...it would be nice if more workers here in the US could benefit from our purchases.

All the American workers at Apple benefit from your purchase. As do the retail workers in the stores the profits go to. And all the shareholders in Apple, many of them workers, benefit. A direct paycheck from Foxcomm isn't really much of a benefit. Would you rather switch places and American workers slave away so Chinese stockholders walk away with all the profit?

And everyone who buys an iPhone benefits because the cost is kept down so the phone is less expensive.

 

[reckless2k2]

And everyone who buys an iPhone benefits because the cost is kept down so the phone is less expensive.

I hear that brotha. Too many people forgot that economics lesson.

 

[JAT]

I'd love the day apple products say "Assembled and designed in California"

That would only be the ones sold in China, though.