According to a variety of sources (none of which are Apple), China Unicom has reached a three-year deal with Apple to sell the iPhone in China, which also happens to be the world’s biggest cellphone market. A spokesperson from China Unicom would not confirm the reports, only to say the two companies are in negotiation.
The deal could go official shortly, with both companies looking at a late September launch. One Chinese blog quotes offered up specifics of the deal:
- The Apple and China Unicom deal will be a 3-year exclusive.
- The iPhone will be customized for the China market (e.g. Chinese language and preloaded with “for China” apps).
- China Unicom will pay Apple 3,000 CNY ($439 USD) per unit.
- China Unicom will subsidize iPhone by pricing the iPhone below the 3,000 CNY paid to Apple. This would take the official iPhone price below the grey-market price for smuggled iPhones.
- China Unicom has promised to sell a minimum 1 million units per year with significantly higher sales targets.
- The iPhone for China will make use of Apple’s China App Store.
It seems as if we’ve been talking about Apple bring the iPhone to China for years, but perhaps it might finally happen. Surprisingly, Apple’s stock is trading slightly lower today, while China Unicom opened up 1.5% higher when markets in Hong Kong opened.
[via Fortune]
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