“Apple’s iPhone has officially launched on China Mobile, the largest wireless network in the world,” Mikey Campbell reports for AppleInsider.
“China Mobile is slated to mete out the first iPhone 5s units to an unknown number of preorder customers on Friday, local China time. The telecom has been accepting reservations for the device since late December,” Campbell reports. “According to Bloomberg, China Mobile announced iPhone-specific plans earlier this week and will only be offering the handset alongside its most expensive data tier.”
Campbell reports, “To be eligible for a fully subsidized iPhone, customers must sign a two-year contract worth 588 yuan, or roughly $97, per month.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Fred Mertz” and “Dan K.” for the heads up.]
Congrats to Apple for getting this very lucrative deal going. It’s going to rock.
Totally agree.
My AT&T grandfathered in unlimited data plan is cheaper than China Mobile … woohoo!
Indeed it’s a wonderful deal. Hats off to Tim Cook and company. Six years it took to get this deal finalized. For such a modest and brilliant guy I’m especially happy for him.
And so it goes.
But Samsung Android handsets are just as good and cheaper plus they have bigger screens. Right? /s
And drop from 6″ & steel it breaks because samscrap makes crap phone.
Wake up you fucking alanist tetards and wall street Apple is steamrolling the planet.
I meant retards
You should’ve stuck with tetards
If the shoe fits…
I love tea. Does that make me a teatard?
Not sure why it would, but I like your thinking.
You’re a tetard, foaming at the mouth Apple cheerleader. Cast a healthy skeptical eye once in awhile … no company is perfect.
One too many breeze?
Yup
Wall st is asleep at the wheel, analists are in a coma and Apple is steamrolling the world with love from it’s customers.
You can’t beat that!
Progress is encouraging, validation is fulfilling, success is sweet, and revenge is orgasmic.
So to speak 😉
I’m trying to anticipate how the iHaters are going to turn this opening into an unfavorable scenario. It’ll have to be something like “Early sign-up response won’t play out over the coming months.” Apple will never be given the benefit of the doubt when it comes to iPhone sales.
I’m not knowledgeable about the the iPhone subsidies China Telecom and China Unicom are offering but if it sets off an iPhone subsidies war it will be a fantastic thing for Apple in China. It appears there is going to be a lot of iPhones running on China Mobile’s highest-tiered 4G network so they should be getting a lot of money back quickly on that new network. If Apple can sell about 1.5 million iPhones a month on China Mobile’s network for an entire year, I would consider it worthwhile and successful deal.
How about…
“Only 0.1% of China’s population line up for iPhone”
“Apple iPhone China mob angers leaders”
“Apple creates artificial iPhone shortage in China” -when they sell out.
Otherwise just wait for the Cnet and Seeking Alpha click bait spin.
Disturbingly, I actually look forward to the negative spin…
I wish people would quit calling it a subsidy. It’s a loan that gets paid back over time via your monthly phone bill.
Mobbed? Maybe? I hope so. But that is unknown so far. Neither Apple Insider nor MacRumors.com claim that the stores have been mobbed. Calm down MDN. Simply reprint the stories as they are reported. Accuracy matters.
Mobbed?
AppleInsider quote, “..shows what appears to be a fairly crowded China Mobile outlet that has reportedly started sales of Apple’s iPhone.”
You can’t whine about slanted media coverage when you’re guilty of it yourself.
NYT up to their usual bs:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/18/technology/apples-latest-foray-into-china-gets-a-weak-response.html?partner=yahoofinance&_r=0
It’s not what the New York Times prints it’s how it is stated. Much of the article is simple facts. The preorders could certainly have something to do with no long lines? Maybe? The iPhone has been losing ground over the last year or so. But that was with the iPhone five and older models. Samsung certainly sells more phones than Apple in China. That’s a simple fact. But the story should be about the introduction of the iPhone on the China mobile network. And it’s a little early to judge. Although I did expect to see long lines. But again, perhaps that is due to all the preorders? I really don’t know?
Perhaps it will be a different story by Monday? A year and a half ago Apple could do no wrong. Stories were always over-the-top. Too much froth. Few complained then. Even though the stories were way too optimistic. Never let the facts get in the way of the story. If it bleeds it leads. Whatever sells newspapers. What works going one direction will work going the opposite direction also. People love feel good stories and also love to read about murders. Whatever sells newspapers. In journalism school you learn who, what, where, when and why? You also learned sensationalism. 18 months ago stories were way too positive. Now they seem to be way too negative. Should balance out about the middle of the year. Regardless of the stories, the Times is a useless liberal rag.
They’ll sell millions no doubt. But it won’t be enough for some.
AAPL down $9 already and going back down to $500. Thought China Mobile was the cure, turns out it ain’t helping.