After months of mind-numbing stutter starts surrounding Apple's iPhone launch in China, the company may finally have nailed down a September launch date according to a published report by China Business Network on Friday.
Foxconn, the world’s largest manufacturer of electronics components is set to build a gimped version of the epic iPhone for China code named “model 90″ which are now being tested by the white coated nerds at China Telecommunication Technology Labs. The bad news is that Apple folded like a lawn chair by having the wi-fi option tossed out to of their iPhone plans in order to push their China release forward, allowing the company a work around for Beijing’s restrictions on handsets with high-speed Internet capability.
“Apple was hellbent on having the iPhone be wifi-enabled,” said Wedge analyst Matt Mathison. “The Chinese government has been just as adamant that it not be.” Source: Business Week
At least one iPhone fanatic in China feels painfully cheated by the depressing news. Jiang Gang Rong, expressed his great displeasure over Apple caving in to the demands of the Chinese government. Feeling a sense of loss as the bittersweet news sweeps through China.
"I wanted to be 'King of the world' like Leo with my new iPhone," Rong said in a brief but candid telephone interview, "Now I will have to bear great shame without standard wi-fi service, my photo is worthless. I will call it fail-boat instead and weep many bitter tears awaiting my new iPhone."
While most of the Chinese market may not share the passionate feelings expressed by the young Jiang Gang Rong, I cannot help believing that many will ultimately feel a bit cheated by the omission of Wi-Fi for Apple's Titanic iPhone launch. Giving even greater rise to the grey-market versions currently in circulation. iPhonAsia editor Dan Butterfield is much more optimistic about the news.
“I believe we are at the beginning stages of a mobile revolution. The iPhone is at the forefront of this revolution.” Butterfield said, expecting that Apple can capture a 2% share of the Chinese wireless market within the first 12 months of launch. Amounting to around 14 million iPhone units sold to the 700 million wireless consumers in China. A major key to such sales would be dependent on the “official” iPhone being priced below grey-market iPhones according to Butterfield.
[Apple 2.0 via iPhoneAsia]
Comments