China Mobile

80 percent of iPhone purchasers in China are picking the iPhone 5s

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

It seems Apple's release of the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c is chock full of surprises aside from the humungous 9 million units sold during the first weekend. Remember the iPhone 5c, first expected to be Apple's cheap iPhone, then forecast to win over emerging markets, such as China? Neither is true.

New analytics show more than 90 percent of the new iPhones sold in China this past weekend were the iPhone 5s. That's even higher than the 78 percent of global sales average the iPhone 5s enjoys on average...

Ming-Chi Kuo projects 8M iPhone 5s/5c opening weekend sales

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Despite worries Apple may be withholding pre-order figures on its new iPhones due to lower demand, one Wall Street observer says the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c could be a new sales record, topping last year's iPhone 5 launch.

According to KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple probably will ship 6 to 8 million of the iPhones over the weekend, topping the iPhone 5 launch of 5 million units. The iPhone 5c will account for the majority of new iPhones sold between Friday and Monday...

Missing iPhone 5c presale announcement causing Wall Street worries

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

It doesn't take much to spook investors. For instance, concern over Apple's silence on iPhone 5c presale numbers prompted a 2.5 percent dip in the Cupertino, Calif. company's stock Monday. At issue is whether a lack of a preorder announcement signals less demand for the inexpensive iPhone or supply problems for the flagship iPhone 5s.

Although Apple didn't announce presale figures for the first iPhone, the iPhone 3G and the iPhone 3GS, starting with the iPhone 4 the company has issued a press release touting a newly-broken presale number. Is Apple just waiting until sales of the iPhone 5s (which isn't available for preorder) launches to make an announcement for both iPhones?

One answer could come from China, where a carrier yesterday announced how many of the new iPhones have already been reserved...

iPhone 5c approved for China Mobile, to cost ‘significantly more’ than expected

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

Recall how the iPhone 5c was thought to be Apple's answer to China's smartphone market dominated by inexpensive handsets? Turns out, the handset costs "significantly more" than expected and nearly as much as the full-featured iPhone 5s, also unveiled Tuesday. At $733 without a subsidy (in China), the iPhone 5C may not be so cheap after all.

"By any standards, it's a premium price," one analyst told the New York Times Wednesday morning. However, there still could be good news for Apple, as China approves the iPhone for China Mobile, the world's largest wireless carrier...

Both the iPhone 5s and 5c support China Mobile’s TD-LTE band

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Surprisingly, Apple didn't make any mention of a China Mobile deal at its event today. The Cupertino company had reportedly inked a deal with world's largest carrier earlier this month to carry its popular handset.

But that doesn't mean it can't still happen. In fact, some new evidence surfaced today that suggests a partnership is still in the cards. It's been discovered that both new iPhones support China Mobile's TD-LTE tech...

WSJ: China Mobile to offer less-expensive iPhone this fall

Cody Lee ∙ September 6, 2013

China Mobile will be offering at least one of Apple's new iPhones this fall, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal's Ian Sherr. The news comes after several years of off-and-on negotiations between the companies.

Sherr claims that sources have confirmed with the news outlet that Apple is preparing to ship iPhones to the carrier, indicating that the Mac-maker has finally reached a long-awaited deal with the world's largest wireless provider...

Estimate: 13M iPhone 5S/5C sales in 10 days, 31M iPhones in Q4

Ed Sutherland ∙ September 6, 2013

Although Apple's much-awaited September 10 announcement remains days away, analysts are already weighing the potential benefit for the all-important fourth quarter. Can Apple get a much-needed bump in end of the year sales by launching the upgraded iPhone 5S and the new iPhone 5C, as well as potential distribution deals in China and Japan?

At the heart of new estimates for the September quarter is Apple's ability to quickly announce, then begin sales of the new hardware. Lucky for Apple, before becoming CEO, Tim Cook was the iPhone maker's supply chain maestro...

China Mobile ‘has all of the power’ in iPhone talks as Apple makes concessions

Ed Sutherland ∙ September 5, 2013

Apple usually is in the cat-bird seat when it comes to negotiations. The brand's allure, coupled with billions in cash and a handset responsible for rocketing smartphone sales has made the iPhone maker a brutal negotiator. Now comes word Apple may have made concessions in order to get the world's largest carrier on its team.

Just what Apple had to concede to gain support from China Mobile varies from a low-priced iPhone 5C to even a slice of some profits. While the latter possibility is rather far-fetched, observers agree: the Chinese carrier "has all the power" in these negotiations...

Apple sends out invites for separate September 11 media event in Beijing

Cody Lee ∙ September 4, 2013

Just one day after Apple sent out invitations to a September 10 media event to take place at its Cupertino, California headquarters, the company has apparently sent out invites to a separate event to be held in China a day later.

The event will take place at Beijing’s World Trade Center, and notably, the invitation looks exactly like the one sent out yesterday, albeit the Chinese text. So why would would Apple want to hold a separate iPhone event in China?

Survey: iPhone 5C could give Apple lead in China

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

One Wall Street analyst has some comforting words for Apple fans watching the iPhone in China submerged under the waves of cheap Android smartphones: wait until the iPhone 5C arrives. Apple's highly-expected budget handset dubbed the iPhone 5C could pole-vault the Apple brand into first place, overcoming Samsung and other Google-powered devices.

The key to giving the iPhone the lead in China: the right price and wide availability. A Morgan Stanley survey of Chinese smartphone consumers suggests an iPhone costing about $486 and offered by China Mobile could give Apple's marketshare a double-digit boost...

China Mobile Chairman says iPhone talks with Apple are progressing

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 15, 2013

China Mobile has more than an astounding 740 million subscribers, making it the world's largest wireless carrier. It is also a rare major carrier without Apple's iconic smartphone. Part of it is politics - Chinese carriers reluctantly agree to revenue-sharing schemes with foreign companies.

China is also moving away from high phone subsidies that impact short-term profitability, but there surely must be some plain stubbornness as both Apple and China Mobile reportedly repeatedly bring onerous terms to the negotiating table.

Although we heard multiple times in the past that the two sides were about to reach some sort of resolution, the iPhone distribution deal never came to be. Apple's boss Tim Cook recently met with China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua and now Reuters reports that a China Mobile tie-up is closer than ever...

Analyst: iPhone 5C may exclude Siri, but will boost margins and attract new sales

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

For some time, Wall Street investors and Apple watchers have stressed the iPhone maker must adjust to more modest profit margins, as well as a worldwide reality where cheap Android smartphones enable competitors to attract price-conscious consumers. Now comes a voice saying Apple could have it all: a cheap handset, fatter margins and a larger international audience.

By attracting the prepaid market, Apple's much-expected iPhone 5C will do all that by going after a huge pool of prepaid wireless customers that's four times larger than the current U.S. subscribers. Meanwhile, another analysts believes he knows the cheaper iPhone will exclude some features, such as Siri...