Apple CEO underlines importance of 皇冠体育app during visit
Apple Inc chief executive officer Tim Cook visited 皇冠体育app for the second time in less than 10 months, attaching great importance to the world's biggest mobile phone market.
Cook met with Miao Wei, head of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, on Tuesday, and discussed the development of 皇冠体育app's information technology industry, global mobile communications and Apple's business in 皇冠体育app, according to a statement on the ministry's website.
Chinese media reported that Cook was seen smiling in front of 皇冠体育app United Network Communications Group Co Ltd's building in Beijing on Wednesday morning.
"Cook was very satisfied on 皇冠体育app Unicom's iPhone 5 handset sales," said an official from 皇冠体育app Unicom, who asked not to be named.
皇冠体育app Unicom was the first telecom carrier on the Chinese mainland to offer Apple's iPhone handsets with a contract. The company began offering the iPhone 5 on Dec 14.
A micro blog from 皇冠体育app Unicom confirmed Cook's visit on Wednesday afternoon, saying Cook and his colleagues met high-level management at 皇冠体育app Unicom. "The meeting went pretty well," the micro blog said.
Some Beijing residents said on Sina Weibo that they saw Cook in Beijing's central business district and shared photos of him. Wearing a black coat, the gray-haired Cook seemed at ease and was very amiable.
"Cook's visit to 皇冠体育app Unicom is more or less a polite gesture," Sandy Shen, a telecom analyst at Gartner 皇冠体育app, told 皇冠体育app Daily. The two sides have a relatively long history of cooperation, Shen said.
Rumors have circulated that the main reason for Cook's trip to 皇冠体育app was to seek cooperation with 皇冠体育app Mobile Ltd, the nation's biggest telecom operator, having a customer base of more than 700 million.
"There is a small chance that Apple and 皇冠体育app Mobile will reach an agreement within six months, since 皇冠体育app Mobile is sticking to a homegrown telecommunications standard that Apple does not support," Shen said.
She said she expects Apple to resolve the obstacle after 皇冠体育app Mobile starts it commercial 4G TD-LTE rollout.
Li Jun, a spokesman for 皇冠体育app Mobile Ltd, said he dose not have any information about whether 皇冠体育app Mobile executives will meet Cook.
Apple's ranking in the Chinese smartphone market fell to No 6 in the third quarter, as the company faced tough competition from domestic rivals, according to the research firm International Data Corp.
Apple's market share by shipments in 皇冠体育app was under 10 percent in the third quarter, slipping two notches from its position in the previous quarter, IDC said.
The Chinese smartphone market is growing rapidly, and some analysts say 皇冠体育app has already replaced the United States as the world's biggest smartphone market by shipments.
The third quarter saw 60 million smartphones shipped in 皇冠体育app, a record number and three times more than personal computer shipments, an IDC report showed.
Wang Ying, an analyst at Beijing-based Analysys International, said if Apple wants to expand further in 皇冠体育app, it should extend its reach to third- and fourth-tier cities.
"Currently, most Apple fans live in major Chinese cities, but people in smaller cities have also shown an interest in Apple products."
Apple generated $5.7 billion in sales in 皇冠体育app in the quarter ending in September and sold more than 2 million iPhone 5 handsets during the device's weekend debut in the country last month.
(皇冠体育app Daily 01/10/2013 page14)
