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September 18, 2013

China Unicom Sees 100,000 Reservations for Apple's iPhone 5C, 5S

The demand for Apple’s new iPhone 5C and 5S in China have hit a milestone. China Unicom, which is the nation’s second-largest wireless carrier, said online reservations for the devices surpassed 100,000. They were unveiled just last week.

The devices will likely go on sale on Friday. Prices are yet to be announced. They will be used on China Unicom and China Telecom networks.

China Telecom’s subsidies on the iPhone 5C and 5S are some 15 percent less than what was offered for the earlier version, according to analysts cited by Bloomberg News.

“The plan is more conservative this time,” Eva Yip, an analyst at Sun Hung Kai Financial Ltd., told Bloomberg News about China Telecom’s iPhone subsidy. “The handset subsidy as a percentage of upfront payment is less than that of the iPhone 5 plan.”

Jacky Yung, a spokesman for China Telecom, declined to comment on the estimates from the analyst. He did, however, offer some insight on how the subsidies are determined.

“Generally, the higher monthly iPhone 5S/5C tariff plan or a longer contract period a subscriber chooses, the higher handset subsidy the subscriber could enjoy,” Yung told Bloomberg in an e-mail statement.

China Telecom offers a free iPhone 5C or 5S if buyers agree to a two-year contract with a minimum monthly plan. The price is refunded against monthly usage, Bloomberg explained.

China Unicom may also lower iPhone subsidies, Cynthia Meng, an analyst with Jefferies Group LLC, said in a statement quoted by Bloomberg.

Meanwhile, China Mobile, the nation’s largest phone company, as of now doesn’t distribute the iPhone. But Apple may reach an agreement with China Mobile perhaps soon, sources told Bloomberg News.

The new smartphone hasn’t changed its design, but has a better camera, and includes a fingerprint scanner and two new processors, news reports said.




Edited by Alisen Downey


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