Telecom & Wireless

Apple (AAPL) Finally Gets Its China Deal

Apple (AAPL) finally has its deal to distribute the iPhone in China after months of rumors and speculation.

China Unicom (CHU), the second largest wireless carrier on the mainland, says it has reached  a three-year deal with Apple and will launch the iPhone toward the end of the year.

According to The Wall Street Journal, China Unicom has 141 million subscribers compared to market leader China Mobile (CHL) which has 498 million. China Unicom may be able to use the iPhone to partially close that gap.

It is too early to say how much competition the iPhone will face in China. Theft of intellectual property is the rule and not the exception in the world’s most populous country. China Mobile will almost certainly launch a handset that borrows literally all of the iPhone features.

Chinese technology pirates are also likely to use the iPhone launch to increase their business in offering “knock-offs” of the Apple product and some of these will probably work on the China Unicom and China Mobile networks.

Apple may have a deal in China, but that is not the same as selling a lot of units in a market where it will have both legitimate and illegitimate competition.

Douglas A. McIntyre

Want to Retire Early? Start Here (Sponsor)

Want retirement to come a few years earlier than you’d planned? Or are you ready to retire now, but want an extra set of eyes on your finances?

Now you can speak with up to 3 financial experts in your area for FREE. By simply clicking here you can begin to match with financial professionals who can help you build your plan to retire early. And the best part? The first conversation with them is free.

Click here to match with up to 3 financial pros who would be excited to help you make financial decisions.

 

Have questions about retirement or personal finance? Email us at [email protected]!

By emailing your questions to 24/7 Wall St., you agree to have them published anonymously on a673b.bigscoots-temp.com.

By submitting your story, you understand and agree that we may use your story, or versions of it, in all media and platforms, including via third parties.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.