China Unicom surpasses 300,000 iPhone 5 pre-orders

By Cody Lee on Dec 11, 2012

The iPhone 5 doesn’t officially launch in China until the 14th, but sales of the handset are believed to already be well past half a million. Two of the countries largest carriers have been taking pre-orders for weeks now, and there appears to be a lot of interest.

China Unicom, for example, just announced that it has fielded more than 300,000 iPhone 5 reservations during its first week of pre-sales. And China Telecom is said to have similar figures. So needless to say, experts are planning for a big launch this Friday… Read More

 

China Unicom sees 100,000 iPhone 5 pre-orders in first day

By Cody Lee on Dec 4, 2012

China Unicom, the second largest carrier in the country, and 22nd largest in the world by subscriber base, opened up iPhone 5 pre-sale reservations on Monday ahead of its December 14 launch. And during the first 24 hours, the provider received over 100,000 pre-orders for the handset… Read More

 

iPhone 5 gets regulatory approval in China

By Cody Lee on Oct 31, 2012

According to a new report, the China State Radio Management agency, one of China’s regulatory agencies, has just given Apple’s iPhone 5 the go-ahead for sale in the country.

The news comes about a month after the handset received approval from the China Compulsory Certificate, and about a month ahead of its scheduled December launch… Read More

 

China approves WCDMA and CDMA iPhone 5

By Ed Sutherland on Sep 26, 2012

The iPhone 5 has overcome its last significant regulatory hurdle for approval in China. Two models of the new iPhone received approval from the China Compulsory Certificate (or 3C), allowing China Unicom and China Telecom to sell the Apple smartphone by the end of 2012, CNET reports… Read More

 

Report: the iPhone 5 may be headed to China Mobile

By Ed Sutherland on Sep 25, 2012

Outside of North America, China may be Apple’s largest market. Although the iPhone 5 is set to be introduced by China Unicom and China Telecom during the first three months that the new smartphone is available, the biggest audience is still China Mobile’s 700 million subscribers.

Now Apple watchers believe new technology quietly added to the iPhone 5 could improve the chances the iconic handset could soon be sold by the world’s largest mobile carrier.

According to The Wall Street Journal, TD-SCDMA is supported in a Qualcomm chip found in the iPhone 5 when the phone was torn down by the folks at iFixit. The transmission technology is China Mobile’s version of 3G and a clue that Apple wants the carrier as its third partner in the Asian giant. It’s intriguing then that Apple doesn’t mention TD-SCDMA in its technical specifications of the iPhone 5. Read More

 

China Unicom rumored to get next-gen iPhone by year’s end

By Cody Lee on Sep 5, 2012

Since previous reports seemingly nailed the next-gen iPhone event date, it’s safe to assume the predicted launch date is also accurate. Apple’s next smartphone is expected to go on sale in the US on September 21st. When the handset will launch elsewhere, however, is still unknown.

Last year, the iPhone 4S launched Stateside in October, but it didn’t hit some major markets like China until a good three months later. But according to a new report, that won’t be the case this year. Industry insiders say that China Unicom will have the handset by December… Read More

 

China Unicom reportedly threatening to drop iPhone subsidy next month

By Christian Zibreg on Aug 17, 2012

China’s second-largest telco, China Unicom, could abandon iPhone subsidy once its contract bundles expire in September, an Asian trade publication wrote on Friday, citing industry sources. The anti-subsidy sentiment is nothing new, but apparently China Mobile is unable to justify billions in prepayments to Apple and high investments in infrastructure in order to cope with fast-growing traffic because sales of contract iPhones reportedly have not met its internal expectations… Read More

 

China Unicom in talks to extend Apple partnership

By Cody Lee on Jun 20, 2012

It looks like folks who were worried about Apple’s progress in China can rest easy. Thanks to “better than expected results,” China Unicom is in talks with Apple to extend its current 3 year partnership.

The Chinese telco is the tenth largest carrier in the world, and was Apple’s first iPhone partner in mainland China back in 2009. And it appears that the relationship has been equally good for both parties… Read More

 

China Telecom begins selling the iPhone 4S after receiving 200,000 pre-orders

By Oliver Haslam on Mar 9, 2012

The iPhone 4S is popular everywhere it is sold, and China is certainly no different. While previously only available to buy from China Unicom, China Telecom is now also offering Apple’s latest smartphone for sale.

Available through any one of the 2,850 China Telecom stores across the country or via Apple’s online store, the iPhone 4S is proving hugely popular amongst punters, just as it has elsewhere.

The release has been so popular, breaking China Unicom’s 18-month stranglehold on iPhone availability in China, that China Telecom has announced that it received over 200,000 pre-orders for the device. This almost two months after the device was made available through China Unicom. Demand, it seems, has not slowed.

Now there’s a shock… Read More

 

Apple and China Mobile negotiating iPhone deal

By Jake Smith on Feb 21, 2012

Last night, it was announced that the iPhone 4S will be available on China’s third-largest carrier, China Telecom, on March 9th. Apple has been aggressively attacking China and has been reaping off its benefits. To benefit iPhone sales even more, Apple is continuing to pursue adding more carriers to support the iPhone in China.

Reuters reports China’s largest carrier, China Mobile, has been “aggressively negotiating” a deal with Apple, but some technical hurdles are holding back a launch for now… Read More

 

Apple Uses New Lottery System to Combat iPhone Scalpers in Hong Kong

By Cody Lee on Jan 30, 2012

Earlier this month, Apple released its popular iPhone 4S handset to long lines in mainland China. But launch day didn’t last very long, as riots broke out in front of multiple Apple Stores around Beijing, forcing them to close.

Scalpers were believed to be a major factor in the riots — they buy iPhones and other gadgets and sell them for a profit on the grey market. But it looks like Apple has found a way to keep them from causing any more problems… Read More

 

Long Lines Form Around China for iPhone 4S Launch

By Cody Lee on Jan 12, 2012

While some of us have had the iPhone 4S for nearly three months, folks in China are just now seeing the handset in the flesh. And if you thought the hype for Apple’s new smartphone was starting to die out, you’re very much mistaken.

Several news outlets are reporting today on the massive lines that have formed outside of Apple Stores in both Beijing and Shanghai, China, for the iPhone 4S launch. Apple’s latest handset is expected to go on sale in less than one hour. Read More

 

China Unicom Offering Free iPhone 4S Handsets With Contract

By Cody Lee on Jan 6, 2012

Carriers in China were only recently given the go-ahead to start selling the iPhone 4S, but they’ve already figured out how to use the handset to drive business. For example, China Unicom has quite the promotion involving the new device.

Bloomberg is reporting this morning that the world’s third largest cell phone provider is about to launch a campaign that will allow customers to pick up Apple’s latest smartphone for free, as long as they’re ok with a long-term contract… Read More

 

iPhone 4S Moves One Step Closer to Mainland China

By Cody Lee on Nov 21, 2011

 

Apple’s latest smartphone, the iPhone 4S, is arguably the year’s hottest handset. Not only did the company sell 4 million units during the device’s opening weekend, but the smartphone is still flying off of retailer’s shelves a month later.

The handset is so popular, in fact, that carriers are having trouble keeping up with consumer demand — Apple can’t make them quick enough. And the phone hasn’t even found its way into mainland China yet, but it’s getting closer… Read More

 

China Unicom Getting Ready for the iPhone 4S

By Sebastien Page on Nov 8, 2011

An article on 9to5Mac this morning reports that China Unicom is dropping the 16/32GB iPhone 4 in preparation for the 8GB iPhone 4, prior to offering the iPhone 4S to its customers.

State-owned China Unicom, the world’s third-largest carrier and Apple’s sole iPhone partner in the country, has dropped both the 16GB and 32GB iPhone 4 model and will be introducing the 8GB iPhone 4 later this month. The move comes in anticipation of the iPhone 4S launch on the China Unicom network, due by the year’s end. iPhone 4S is currently pending regulatory approval in the country. The move would indicate that China Unicom will focus on the new iPhone 4S and carry the 8GB iPhone 4 as an inexpensive entry-level handset.

China is a huge market for Apple and there is no doubt this deal will increase the company’s bottomline. China Unicom is the country’s number 2 carrier. China Mobile, the country’s leader, has yet to reach an agreement with Apple.