China Unicom on the verge of selling Apple's iPhone 4S

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
A government-issued network permit is all that stands between China Unicom and Apple selling the new iPhone 4S in China, which is now the largest smartphone market in the world.



China Unicom revealed this week that all of the work on their end has been completed, and now they are just waiting for regulatory approval to offer the iPhone 4S, according to MIC Gadget. Some regional branches of the carrier have already begun taking advance bookings for the iPhone 4S ahead of its release.



"We will start sales once we get the certificate from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology," said China Unicom sales executive Yu Yingtao. "It's not up to us. We've already done all of our preparations, we're just waiting on the permit."



Apple is poised to release its latest smartphone in China as market research firm Strategy Analytics recently announced that the country has become the world's largest smartphone market. China surpassed the U.S. in the third quarter of calendar 2011 with 58 percent sequential growth, helping the country reach shipments of 24 million units.



Just last week it was revealed that the iPhone 4S is ready for sale in China after passing wireless regulatory tests. All that remains needed is a network access permit, which at the time was expected to arrive within two weeks.



China has become an increasingly important part of Apple's business with sales surging from quarter to quarter. In his company's last quarterly earnings conference call, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said the progress in China has been "amazing," and called the country "an area of enormous opportunity."







Apple's growth in China has already made the nation of over 1 billion people number two on the company's list of top-revenue countries. Accordingly, Apple has begun placing additional investment in the nation with new stores, and there are now more than 7,000 points of sale for the iPhone.



Apple is working hard to capitalize on China's booming smartphone market as one recent report from earlier this month indicated that 67 percent of potential Asian iPhone buyers remain untapped by Apple. Analysts with Morgan Stanley have calculated that Apple's iPhone is yet to be offered by 78 percent of Asia's carriers, which represent 67 percent of the region's subscriber base.



The iPhone 4S debuted in Hong Kong earlier this month and preorders sold out in just 10 minutes of availability. Reports have indicated that Siri, Apple's voice recognition software in the iPhone 4S, will gain support for Mandarin, the most popular form of the Chinese language, by March of 2012.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 19
    really, it's coming I tell you!
  • Reply 2 of 19
    801801 Posts: 271member
    " A government-issued network permit is all that stands between China Unicom and Apple selling the new iPhone 4S in China, which is now the largest smartphone market in the world."



    Should probably read:



    " One last major bribe to someone very high up in the government is all that stands between China Unicom and Apple selling the new iPhone 4S in China, which is now the largest smartphone market in the world."
  • Reply 3 of 19
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 801 View Post


    " A government-issued network permit is all that stands between China Unicom and Apple selling the new iPhone 4S in China, which is now the largest smartphone market in the world."



    Should probably read:



    " One last major bribe to someone very high up in the government is all that stands between China Unicom and Apple selling the new iPhone 4S in China, which is now the largest smartphone market in the world."



    You seem to be harboring some inside knowledge -- or a grudge -- about how things work in China. Please enlighten us as to the background for your grim assessments. If you have actual experience rather than just armchair research, that would be interesting.
  • Reply 4 of 19
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 801 View Post


    "One last major bribe to someone very high up in the government is all that stands between China Unicom and Apple selling the new iPhone 4S in China, which is now the largest smartphone market in the world."



    Exactly!
  • Reply 5 of 19
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Reports have indicated that Siri, Apple's voice recognition software in the iPhone 4S, will gain support for Mandarin, the most popular form of the Chinese language, by March of 2012.



    Mmmm....



    I wonder how difficult it would be to make Siri bi-lingual or multi-lingual on a specific device...



    ...Ha! AIR, If you tried to change Siri's voice, it would lose any settings... Now, it doesn't appear to do so -- you can effortlessly switch between the languages provoded...
  • Reply 6 of 19
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Flaneur View Post


    You seem to be harboring some inside knowledge -- or a grudge -- about how things work in China. Please enlighten us as to the background for your grim assessments. If you have actual experience rather than just armchair research, that would be interesting.



    I second this. Answer Conrade Chairman Flaneur's questions immediately, or your permit to this site will be revoked!



    Unless you forward the appropriate bribe. See your government operating handbook, pg. 10,396, Section 121.16.45(b)(2)(iii), third paragraph alternate IV.
  • Reply 7 of 19
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by eightzero View Post


    I second this. Answer Conrade Chairman Flaneur's questions immediately . . .



    Please use proper title for People's Democratic Fellow Citizen Comrade Flaneur.



    Seriously, there is nothing more depressing than ignorant jingoism at your only decent Apple news site, and you see it a lot whenever China comes up. (I know, "ignorant" is redundant.)
  • Reply 8 of 19
    801801 Posts: 271member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Flaneur View Post


    You seem to be harboring some inside knowledge -- or a grudge -- about how things work in China. Please enlighten us as to the background for your grim assessments. If you have actual experience rather than just armchair research, that would be interesting.



    IF you have known anyone who has adopted a child from china, please ask them about the Red Envelope.
  • Reply 9 of 19
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Flaneur View Post


    You seem to be harboring some inside knowledge -- or a grudge -- about how things work in China. Please enlighten us as to the background for your grim assessments. If you have actual experience rather than just armchair research, that would be interesting.



    Considering my family's business in China, this really is about the truth.
  • Reply 10 of 19
    Siri in Chinese? That would be cool



    since I don't have a 4S (yet), can some answer if Siri can provide spoken translations:



    You speak: Siri say/translate "where is the hospital?" in German

    Siri speaks: ?



    Anybody know or can test? Thanks
  • Reply 11 of 19
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 801 View Post


    IF you have known anyone who has adopted a child from china, please ask them about the Red Envelope.



    We were talking about Apple selling iPhones through China Unicom, not about adopting Chinese children.



    If you want to open a casino for your tribe in the U.S., don't make a move until you talk to my friend Jack . . .



    By the way, I wasn't accusing you of being a jingoist, but was looking for your angle on why you were saying what you were saying. And notice you got a hoot from the crowd.



    Dick Applebaum's take is more interesting. Siri in Mandarin -- and by the way FaceTime with people in China -- could make it much easier for learning each others' languages.
  • Reply 12 of 19
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by estyle View Post


    Siri in Chinese? That would be cool



    since I don't have a 4S (yet), can some answer if Siri can provide spoken translations:



    You speak: Siri say/translate "where is the hospital?" in German

    Siri speaks: ?



    Anybody know or can test? Thanks



    Not yet...



    But there is an app for that -- Jibbigo.
  • Reply 13 of 19
    This thread turned quickly.
  • Reply 14 of 19
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Flaneur View Post


    You seem to be harboring some inside knowledge -- or a grudge -- about how things work in China. Please enlighten us as to the background for your grim assessments. If you have actual experience rather than just armchair research, that would be interesting.



    I guess you haven't been to China, or worked within this country.

    Although I deal with foreign companies, I have 4 Chinese clients whom I need to change the way I do business with. The way I handle the west is different to here. My job would have been passed onto someone else If I didn't treat certain clients right. Everyone is in it to make a quick buck, its all short term money hunger and hope that it lasts for a long time.



    Even if there is no money under the table in this situation, an exchange of money has been made somewhere along the lines to make anonymous people happy. The excitement of living in the fast and dangerous line here
  • Reply 15 of 19
    Clare, What do you think?. Do we have any more money? Can we buy more AAPL with it?
  • Reply 16 of 19
    Like The US, the Chinese people are, for the most part, wonderful individuals. Also like here, the problems generally lie not with "the people" but with the government.



    I never met so many friendly people as I did touring China. Especially the police. I had a cop in Beijing approach me just to smile broadly and bellow "Fuggedaboutit!" because he was a fan of Scorsese.
  • Reply 17 of 19
    eightzeroeightzero Posts: 3,052member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Flaneur View Post


    Please use proper title for People's Democratic Fellow Citizen Comrade Flaneur.



    Seriously, there is nothing more depressing than ignorant jingoism at your only decent Apple news site, and you see it a lot whenever China comes up. (I know, "ignorant" is redundant.)



    Yes, I feel great shame for my unfortunate ignorant misspelling.
  • Reply 18 of 19
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by eightzero View Post


    Yes, I feel great shame for my unfortunate ignorant misspelling.



    Sorry, it really was a funny reality check for comrade Flaneur. And I did not mean you were the ignoramus. Actually, I still don't know if anyone is an ignoramus this time around, just that there usually is a bunch of low xenophobic "humor" when this kind of thing comes up about the great Middle Country.
  • Reply 19 of 19
    Just got off a local flight here in China and found this ad on the headrest.





    Looks like Unicom wont be the only player anymore in 2012
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