Monday, 3 December 2012


China Unicom joins iPhone-5 club

By Qin Min
BEIJING ( Caixin Online ) — China Unicom Ltd. started taking orders Monday for the iPhone 5.
Apple Inc.’s AAPL +0.16%  popular smartphone would be available on Dec. 14, the company said.
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Rival China Telecom Corp.’s version of the iPhone 5 would also be available on Dec. 14, said an industry insider who declined to be named. Apple’s website says the phone will be available at its retail stores the same day.
China Telecom HK:728 +0.73%   CHA -2.04%  and China Unicom HK:762 +0.34%   CHU -1.16%  have been locked in a fierce competition to be the first to sell the product in China.
The country’s telecoms regulator approved the iPhone 5 launch for the two networks on Nov. 29, two months after Apple unveiled the product and started sales in nine countries and regions.
China Telecom’s iPhone 5 with a contract will cost 5,780 yuan ($928), or 100 yuan cheaper than China Unicom’s price, the industry insider said.
Apple’s website lists a 16-gigabyte version for 5,288 yuan.
Both companies gave up profits on the iPhone 4 to get contracts with customers.
China Unicom added 3.2 million new 3G subscribers in October. China Telecom added 3.02 million, and China Mobile Ltd. HK:941 +0.57% 3.72 million.
China Mobile HK:941 +0.57%   CHL -1.76% , the country’s largest mobile operator, has not reached an agreement with Apple to sell the iPhone 5 in the country. However, the company is offering customers the phone’s SIM cards, which are smaller than previous versions.
See this report at Caixin Online .
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