China Mobile initiates iPhone 5s and 5c reservation system in Southern China
A China Mobile subsidiary in Suzhou opened up reservations for iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c orders on Monday local time in one of the first concrete signs that Apple is about to launch its popular smartphone on the world's largest wireless carrier.
The reservation webpage popped up as an advertisement on China Mobile's Suzhou Life Network Web portal, which serves up local news and entertainment for customers on the network. Fortune's Philip Elmer-Dewitt was first to spot the site.
As seen above, the page is not a direct preorder system, but instead allows customers interested in Apple's latest handsets to schedule an "appointment," or save a spot in line, to purchase the devices when eventually roll out. Currently, over 1,100 people have signed up.
According to the fine print, the reservation page is only open to China Mobile users in Suzhou, a major city of 5.5 million people located in China's Jiangsu Province. The site stipulates order priority for 4G iPhones will be given to those who sign up through the reservation system, but does not indicate when either the iPhone 5s or 5c will be available to buy. Instead, users are instructed to keep an eye on the Suzhou Life Network page or follow the network on microblogging service Sina Weibo for the latest information.
A report from China's state-run Xinhua News Agency in November cited industry insiders as saying both iPhone models were looking at a Dec. 18 launch date, the same day China Mobile is slated to activate its 4G network.
Rumors of a China Mobile-Apple deal have been circulating for years, some dating back to the original iPhone's debut in 2007. Aside from the Xinhua report, an Apple job posting from October revealed the company was looking for an engineer with expertise in China Mobile's unique TD-LTE and TD-SCDMA networks, prompting speculation of a near future release.
China Mobile is the largest cellular carrier in the world, with some 740 million subscribers spread across the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and overseas.
The reservation webpage popped up as an advertisement on China Mobile's Suzhou Life Network Web portal, which serves up local news and entertainment for customers on the network. Fortune's Philip Elmer-Dewitt was first to spot the site.
As seen above, the page is not a direct preorder system, but instead allows customers interested in Apple's latest handsets to schedule an "appointment," or save a spot in line, to purchase the devices when eventually roll out. Currently, over 1,100 people have signed up.
According to the fine print, the reservation page is only open to China Mobile users in Suzhou, a major city of 5.5 million people located in China's Jiangsu Province. The site stipulates order priority for 4G iPhones will be given to those who sign up through the reservation system, but does not indicate when either the iPhone 5s or 5c will be available to buy. Instead, users are instructed to keep an eye on the Suzhou Life Network page or follow the network on microblogging service Sina Weibo for the latest information.
A report from China's state-run Xinhua News Agency in November cited industry insiders as saying both iPhone models were looking at a Dec. 18 launch date, the same day China Mobile is slated to activate its 4G network.
Rumors of a China Mobile-Apple deal have been circulating for years, some dating back to the original iPhone's debut in 2007. Aside from the Xinhua report, an Apple job posting from October revealed the company was looking for an engineer with expertise in China Mobile's unique TD-LTE and TD-SCDMA networks, prompting speculation of a near future release.
China Mobile is the largest cellular carrier in the world, with some 740 million subscribers spread across the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and overseas.
Comments
Suzhou is not a small town. It is a big city with GDP probably among the top 10 cities in China.
It's about time.
Go China Mobile... Go Apple !
"Suzhou, a relatively small town "
Suzhou is not a small town. It is a big city with GDP probably among the top 10 cities in China.
As far as cities go in China, it is well laid out and actually nice. It is not a huge factory city (unlike nearby Kunshan), which definitely helps.
Samsung is popular in China, but Apple's official entry into this market will most likely choke Samsung's volume.
It's about time.
Go China Mobile... Go Apple !
I was going to say... "It is about damn time!"
"Suzhou, a relatively small town "
Suzhou is not a small town. It is a big city with GDP probably among the top 10 cities in China.
Wikipedia certainly agrees with you.
Famous last words. If only success and stock price were meant to follow a logical pattern.
If Nokia created Android phones from day 1 perhaps they'd be right up in Samsung's face right now. Microsoft's platform has yet to prove itself.
Or the single success story in Android is a fluke.
Famous last words. If only success and stock price were meant to follow a logical pattern.
People make buying decisions based on perception, not reality. And the reality is that public perception is leaning against Apple as yesterday’s news. You hear the drumbeat every day, all day long from analysts and paid shills. It does have an effect over time. Apple’s refusal to confront and combat the lies and misinformation concerns me. I know they think they are taking the high ground by not responding but... I don’t know what the best course is. Decades ago (1973) when I was a young salesman of large ticket products (electronic and pipe organs to churches) I was taught to never mention your competition because it makes the potential customer think you are worried about them.
Yeah, its just killing their sales...
"lets start the death watch... again."
(sung to tune of Rocky Horror's Time Warp)
Apple's biggest problem is that it can't make products fast enough to satisfy demand. That's a problem any other tech manufacturer would kill to have (none of their competition has this problem).
Also those margins north of 30% on most of what they sell...
Go back to selling church organs...
According to an update in PED's Apple 2.0 site, the ad has disappeared, and he thinks it could be a hoax.
Nothing to see here. Yet.
Most of people do not understand the real reason China Mobile has not offered the iPhones. It is because China Mobile did not have 4G technology before. China Mobile has deployed 4G to some of vast networks now. The iPhones may help it to advertise the new feature tremendously.