A potential Chi-Phone debut in 2008 appears to hinge on one of the two largest Chinese telecom operators agreeing to Apple's terms. "Our business model does not entail sharing revenue with terminal producers -- we don't share revenue. That's a Chinese rule," one executive told Reuters on condition of anonymity. Source - AppleInsider
That Chinese rule, though aimed at outsiders seems to be applied equally to the Chinese work force. The $400 iPhone currently costs more than the average monthly salary in China. A stark reality that confirms profit sharing is not what these Chinese companies are about. "We are willing to look at every business opportunity that makes sense," said the anonymous executive "We consider it prudent to examine the iPhone long enough for our engineers to design a worthy replica that can be sold to the masses on the cheap."
The executive went on to explain that iPhones might be incompatible with the Chinese market because of their "locked" SIM cards. "You have to realize Chinese SIM cards are not locked up, as the iPhones' are," the executive said, "We lock up Chinese citizens, not our SIM cards."
Apple might have a bidding war on its hands in China. A day after China
Mobile CEO Wang Jianzhou announced the country's largest wireless
carrier is in negotiations with Apple to sell the iPhone, the No. 2
firm, China Unicom, signaled it would like to talk iPhone too. Source - Newsfactor.com
The Unicom signal appeared in the night sky over China resembling the 'bat
signal', instantly drawing the attention of Steve Jobs whom the Chinese consider to be a kind of
super hero in his own right.
All of the issues surrounding a 2008 Chi-Phone launch are currently being evaluated and will ultimately be decided by China's telecom giants in a formal democratic voting process after the Chinese New Year. The game of cat and mouse that telecom leaders are currently playing with Apple happens to coincide in 2008 with China celebrating The Year of the Rat. 'Nuff said.
China's Black Market iPhones (link)
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