Scalper1 News
After years of negotiations, Apple (AAPL) on Friday finally started selling iPhones through China Mobile (CHL), the world’s largest wireless carrier. The launch will test the consumer appetite for high-end smartphones in a market that has embraced lower-cost Google (GOOG) Android handsets from Samsung and others. China Mobile was the last major piece to Apple’s iPhone distribution map. One would be forgiven for thinking that Apple (AAPL) CEO Tim Cook wept like Alexander the Great upon realizing he had no more worlds to conquer. But signing up China Mobile is just the start of a new battle for market share in China, where Apple is in fifth place or lower, based on recent reports. China Mobile received pre-orders for 1.3 million iPhones, Reuters said Friday. An estimated 45 million China Mobile subscribers already use the iPhone through “gray market” purchases of the handset. China Mobile has 763 million subscribers, with 181 million using its 3G network. Apple’s iPhone will work on China Mobile’s 3G network and its new 4G network. Media reports have noted that China Mobile iPhones are quite expensive Scalper1 News
Scalper1 News