Josh OngChina Unicom announced the figures Tuesday, the People's Daily reports. First day shipments exceeded 40,000 units, with the total reaching 100,000 within the first few days after launch.
Chinese demand for the iPhone 4 has been greater than expected. According to China Unicom, over 200,000 customers preordered the smartphone in the week leading up to the launch. The 100,000 customers who preordered the iPhone and have yet to receive it should get their phones by the end of next month, China Unicom said.
Apple and China Unicom have built upon last year's launch. "The sales of previous versions of iPhones created a solid foundation for the explosive performance of the iPhone 4 this year," China Unicom senior vice-president Li Gang said.
In the first week after the initial iPhone launch in 2009, China Unicom signed up just 5,000 iPhone customers.
Heavy subsidies of the iPhone 4 may be driving sales. According to a China Unicom press release (Google Translation), customers who sign up for the 16GB iPhone 4 with a 2-year contract and a 286RMB ($43) monthly plan will pay nothing for the phone.
Last week, thousands of fans lined up outside Apple's Chinese retail stores eager to purchase the new handset.
Apple did not respond to a request for the iPhone 4's sales figures from Apple's four stores in China.
Malcolm Owen
Amber Neely
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13 Comments
Apple needs to step it up with the demand. The demand is just to high and people are getting impatient. And where is the white iphone 4?!
Heavy subsidies of the iPhone 4 may be driving sales. According to a China Unicom press release (Google Translation), customers who sign up for the 16GB iPhone 4 with a 2-year contract and a 286RMB ($43) monthly plan will pay nothing for the phone.
The last few articles I have read on the launch in China have acted like it is a real surprise that launch figures are 200,000 vs. the 5,000 of last year. If there were no subsidies at all available last year and everyone had to pay full price, then that could indeed be a driving factor.
And yet, each article has failed to mention a key difference: last year's iPhone for China was missing WIFI.
This was not an Apple failure, this was required by the China govt./regulators. Small wonder that figures are up this year and are more in line with iPhone launches elsewhere. Much as I would not settle for anything less than an iPhone, WIFI makes it the compelling device that it is. If I really wanted an iPhone, whether or not I was part of the Chinese economy, I would still pay full price if I had too (and I am sure there are more than 5,000 others in the whole of China who felt the same way) -- but if it was missing WIFI, no deal. That's why last year's numbers were so low.
I mean, that's like selling Wii's with its famous motion control disabled. Big news. Enable motion controllers a year later and see if the sales figures increase, then say it was because the stores offered financing.
I can't believe, the whole world would buy more white iPhones, if the thing is finally out.
How do you know it is 'subsidized' as opposed to people simply paying for it in monthly installments as part of their $43/month plan?!
How do you know it is 'subsidized' as opposed to people simply paying for it in monthly installments as part of their $43/month plan?!
Coz that's what it says on the China Unicom iPhone website. How much you pay for the iPhone 4 there depends on the plan. Its the same in some countries. The $43 plan is the cheapest plan you can get the iPhone for free. The most expensive is $132 with 4GB cap.
I swore I could've read that the iPhone 4 was unsubsidized in China. I guess not..