The rumors are true — Apple will distribute an iPhone 3G in China. On Friday, China Unicom announced the exclusive deal to sell Apple’s smartphones in the world’s most populous nation, a move that will expose the iPhone to the largest mobile consumer market in the world.
Tucked deep within its earnings announcement, China Unicom said it inked a three-year agreement to buy iPhones at wholesale prices from Apple. Apple stopped doing revenue-sharing deals with wireless carriers when the iPhone 3G was introduced.
“The initial launch is expected to be in the fourth calendar quarter of 2009. This will provide users with brand-new communication and information experience,” China Unicom, the nation’s second-largest wireless carrier, said in its earnings announcement.
Millions of iPhone Sales
There were no solid details on the consumer end, but reports have surfaced indicating that China Unicom will require a two-year service contract with the purchase of an iPhone 3G. China boasts more than 670 million customers, according to the Ministry of Information Industry. Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi has said mobile-phone sales in China next year could reach 192 million units, compared to 180 million this year.
However, the recession has taken its toll on telecom there. China Unicom’s earnings report indicates the nation’s macroeconomy continued to see challenges brought about by the international financial crisis during the first half of 2009. The company said, “With the restructuring of telecommunications industry and the issuance of the 3G license, industry competition environment has become increasingly complicated.”
What Will the Hardware Look Like?
Even with the official announcement, rumors still abound around the iPhone in China. Speculation continues about a unique iPhone offering there — and that may still come to pass, according to Avi Greengart, an analyst at Current Analysis.
“It is certainly possible that there could be specific versions of the iPhone in China, but…