China Unicom

Did China Unicom just hint at Deep Blue iPhone 7?

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 8, 2016

Apple's carrier partner China Unicom may have just hinted subtly that the next iPhone could come in an all-new Deep Blue colorway, as first suggested two months ago by the Japanese blog Mac Otakara.

According to Dutch blog TechTastic.nl, China Unicom on its Facebook page posted an image featuring an iPhone 7-like dual lens camera superimposed on a huge “7” surrounded by four squares that allude to existing Space Gray, Gold and Rose Gold colors, plus the rumored Deep Blue colorway.

Soon after, the carrier removed its post from Facebook.

Chinese carriers take in 1 million iPhone 6 pre-orders in 6 hours

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Pre-orders for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus officially began in China today, and it sounds like sales for the two handsets are doing well thus far. Tencent reports that the country's three major wireless carriers recorded more than 1 million pre-orders during first 6 hours of availability.

There's been no word on what sales looked like throughout the rest of the day, and the 1M figure doesn't include orders taken directly by Apple, or its 6,000 authorized resellers. It also doesn't account for the 9+ million iPhone 6 and 6 Plus reservations that were made last week.

Apple facing delays launching iPhone 6 models in China, still hasn’t gained approval

Jake Smith ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Apple informed the top-three carriers in China on Wednesday it would not be offering the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus on September 19, leaving them caught off-guard, the New York Times reported. China is seen as the company's fastest growing market, so it's definitely an odd move, as China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom and customers in the area are eagerly awaiting the launch alongside the US and other countries worldwide.

Chinese carriers beat even the most aggressive U.S. iPhone 5s/5c offers

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated June 3, 2017

Remember last week's Apple stock tailspin launched by the high price in China of the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s? Talk centered on no-contract versions of the new handsets costing more than $730 and how Apple should just keep dreaming about competing against inexpensive Android alternatives.

Forget all that, because China's No. 2 and No. 3 carriers are out with prices on subsidized iPhones and they are low. In fact, one market observer believes the deals could beat even the most aggressive American offers...

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...

China Unicom announces taking 100,000 iPhone 5s/5c reservations

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 3, 2017

As Apple fans in Japan batter the storm camping out in front of the local Apple Store ahead of Friday’s launch of the new top-line iPhone 5s and the colorful plastic iPhone 5c, journalists have been playing somewhat of a guessing game regarding iPhone 5c pre-orders (the 5s isn't available for pre-order).

What's the new milestone going to be and will it shatter previous iPhone pre-orders are the questions occupying the collective minds of Apple watchers as pundits have been holding their breath for an Apple press release. In the meantime, China Unicom has released some cold hard numbers...

Reuters: China Unicom/Telecom to start taking iPhone 5S/5C pre-orders next week

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 6, 2013

Yesterday, China's state-owned #3 carrier China Telecom supposedly inadvertently let slip that it will start selling Apple's upcoming iPhone 5S upgrade and the new mid-range iPhone 5C beginning September 20. The official pre-order page had even gone live briefly before the telco killed it.

I'm always doubtful of such "leaks" and tend to dismiss them as the perfectly legitimate PR stunts designed to drum up the excitement ahead of the launch. Be that as it may, Reuters on Friday confirmed with its sources that both China Telecom and China Unicom will indeed start taking preorders for the new iPhones as early as next week...

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...

Without iPhone exclusive, China Unicom now turns to low-cost handsets

Ed Sutherland ∙ August 9, 2013

There is a surge of demand for low-cost smartphones in China. Latest to ride the wave: local carrier China Unicom, which lost its exclusive deal to sell iPhones in 2012.

Apparently, the shift toward inexpensive phones is paying off, the company reporting a 55 percent jump in profits for the first half of 2013.

While there is still room for high-end smartphones, vast growth is seen selling inexpensive handsets to emerging markets, such as China and India. Apple could unveil a plastic iPhone aimed at first-time smartphone owners and still make "decent profitability" one analyst said Thursday...

China Unicom surpasses 300,000 iPhone 5 pre-orders

Cody Lee ∙ December 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...

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

Cody Lee ∙ December 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...

iPhone 5 gets regulatory approval in China

Cody Lee ∙ October 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...