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皇冠体育app Unicom takes a bite of Apple pie

By Wang Xing (皇冠体育app Daily)
Updated: 2009-08-29 09:18

Well, now you can have your iPhone and use it too, albeit without, don't let this break your heart, the Wi-Fi facility. Use it too because - as British telecom consulting firm OVUM says - there are already about 1 million iPhones in 皇冠体育app without an official network.

The iPhone had been coming ever since 皇冠体育app Unicom launched the country's first 3G service earlier this year. 皇冠体育app's second largest telecom operator ended months of speculation on Friday, saying it had signed a three-year contract with Apple Inc to sell iPhones in the country from later this year.

The deal that gives the world's largest mobile phone market (with more than 680 million users) arguably the smartest cell phone is expected to help 皇冠体育app Unicom draw away some "elite" users from rival 皇冠体育app Mobile.

But Wang Yuquan, senior Frost & Sullivan consultant, disagreed. He said iPhones might not pose a threat to 皇冠体育app Mobile because lack of Wi-Fi facility would keep many buyers away from them.

皇冠体育app Mobile, on the other hand, is likely to release a series of new 3G handsets compatible with its TD-SCDMA standard on Monday.

Apple had been in talks with 皇冠体育app Mobile since 2007 to introduce iPhones in 皇冠体育app. But it turned to 皇冠体育app Unicom because its WCDMA 3G standard is more suited to Apple's iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS, the latest model.

These models will be among those on offer, Chang Xiaobing, chairman and chief executive of 皇冠体育app Unicom, said at a news briefing.

The deal, however, doesn't involve revenue sharing with Apple, 皇冠体育app Unicom said, denying earlier reports that it had agreed to buy 5 million handsets from the American company for 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion).

An Apple 皇冠体育app spokesperson confirmed the deal, but refused to give any details.

Related readings:  iPhone to enter mainland soon  皇冠体育app Mobile says iPhone talks scale biggest hurdle  皇冠体育app Unicom says Q1 profit at $525m  皇冠体育app Unicom full-year profit up 58%

Absence of Wi-Fi doesn't seem to make much of a difference to some users, though.

Qiu Xueying, a 28-year-old woman working for a domestic publishing house, said she would consider buying an iPhone "because I like its design and appearance a lot" and not because of its Internet-related features.

Joy Zhou, senior executive of a multinational company in 皇冠体育app, however, said she did not have any plan to buy an iPhone any time soon.

"iPhones are too fashionable to use in a business environment," said Zhou, who spends more than 1,000 yuan a month on long distance calls to her business partners.

The launch of the iPhone is good news for 皇冠体育app Unicom but it's too early to say whether it would help increase the number of its users and revenue, said Wang Guoping, an analyst from 皇冠体育app Galaxy Securities.

"In 皇冠体育app, most of the elite users are from the field of business but they don't seem that interested in iPhones," Wang said. "But iPhones will definitely attract many young users to 皇冠体育app Unicom's 3G service."

Zheng Lifei contributed to the story