iPhone in China -- Only 5000 Served?
The iPhone finally went on sale in China last week, and according to Business Week, only 5000 appear to have been sold.
Scratch that. Do over. An overly expensive, Wi-Fi crippled version of the iPhone eventually went on sale in China, where over 2 million cheaper, unlocked, gray-market iPhones with functioning Wi-Fi have already been sold over the last couple years, and weren't found to be terribly competitive?
Either way, China remains a billion-user market, and Apple needed to get a foot in the door. Sure, they likely wanted a much bigger initial foot, but when the next version of China Unicom's iPhone, with Wi-Fi (and hopefully more competitive rates) becomes available, maybe... they'll see some slow, steady growth in that general direction?
[Thanks Icebike for the tip!]
There are 7 comments. Add yours.
LOL....No one wants those pieces of junk....they'll just get some US Versions and unlock them
I think they know it's not really a that smart a phone.
I think it's just priced too high period.
It's over a thousand bucks. Few in that econemy can afford that and those that can are smart enough to get the gray market wifi enabled one for a quarter less money.
Well, most people who wanted an iPhone in China already got a JB one anyway.
I find it funny that there is a AT&T carrier logo. Someone forgot to photoshop it out....lol....
@Mike
Totally True
Why pay for a outrageously priced phone with gimped features?
Id be honest, if i wanted one id either import one, or simply get one off the gray market and be done with it.
I can just just imagine two iPhone users meeting.
'yeah, I got mine from overseas'
'oh, mine was included with my plan'
snigger
@ IPhone Help Support
Bruce Lee was a proud citizen of USA.