If true, it means that China has almost, if not more, iPhones as Europe - though Europe (present company included) probably has a huge amount of unlocked iPhones as well. Frankly, we don't think unlocking is a problem as there is no alternative way to purchase in China.
However, if the market is already saturated when Apple goes into China this year, it might hurt sales. Our opinion, as always is that Apple needs to go away from the model of limiting the carrier choice and letting as many people as possible use these iPhones.
Delicious
Digg
StumbleUpon
Reddit
Facebook
Google
Yahoo
Comments
And this is only China
And this is only China Mobile, which is the largest operator though. China Unicom might have a few as well. Including various HK providers, would further increase the number.
Apple better not blow it and
Apple better not blow it and keep it locked to a certain network after its 2 year relationship with AT&T. Imagine if we had to sign up with a certain internet carrier in the 90's? (AOL 1.0 etc...?) I have a good feeling apple is going to wake up and smell the potential. buy stock now.
But still no iPhone in
But still no iPhone in Canada!
Hate to breake it to you,
Hate to breake it to you, but 400,000 phones in China is not even approaching dampness, let alone saturation.
but without an unlimited
but without an unlimited data plan...people cannot really enjoy all that is offered on the iphone. I live in Canada and can easily go across the border to get myself one..but I havent because of the lack of 'all you can eat' data price plan here.
The climate in Canada's data price is changing for the better in the last few months and if the price continues to go south, it may finally be worthwhile to own and iphone.
China has more than 350
China has more than 350 million mobile customers and counting. The largest in the world and hate handsets that's locked. I hope apple's goon can read chinese newspapers to understand the huge potential market.
"Our opinion, as always is
"Our opinion, as always is that Apple needs to go away from the model of limiting the carrier choice and letting as many people as possible use these iPhones."
that's bullshit. there are always plenty of guys in china to get those "limited" things, including software, banned movies, phones from overseas carriers, even weapons including firearms, sometimes, which is heavily restricted in china.
i live in china, and before this spring-festival i've already got some of my friends using iPhone. none of them are brought from china mobile.
Majority of mobile customers
Majority of mobile customers in China are using pay-to-go (prepaid SIM plans) as conveniences. Simply the process of getting monthly bills is almost the same as catching a ghostly counterfeiters. Due to dermographic peoples contantly moving from region to look for work and access to post office to pay bill is out of the question. They do not like handsets that's locked to exclusive carriers, iPhone and other brands will sell briskly if unlocked. Send those apple's goon to live in China for awhile they will open their eyes ...
NEWS UPDATE: In China
NEWS UPDATE:
In China network:
1 iPhone ad 399999 iPhone clones.
;-)
Apple loves the fact that
Apple loves the fact that the iPhone is being unlocked. That's why they're not trying harder to stop it.
"However, if the market is
"However, if the market is already saturated when Apple goes into China this year, it might hurt sales." Err, yeah right - a market is saturated with our product so we should be worried about not being able to saturate it?
I got myself a iPhone in
I got myself a iPhone in India last week.
The place I went to buy, all the 100+ shops had more then 10 iPhones on display. All my friends whom I showed my phone want to buy it. I am sure India also has a few thousand if not hundreds of thousand of iPhones. iPhone is selling less then Rs. 2000 (US$50) then Nokia N95.