Why iPhone Hasn't Sold Well in China
Many have taken guesses about why official sales of the iPhone in China have been lackluster, despite the device’s popularity in other markets, with some suggesting that the long delay of the handset’s official launch in China is to blame, while others say it’s the iPhone’s high price tag or the fact that Chinese iPhones don’t have wireless Internet capabilities.
But a recent survey of 2,000 mobile users in China between the ages of 22 and 32 by China Market Research Group, or CMR, suggests that the cause of the iPhone’s performance in China may stem from the relative unpopularity of Apple’s (AAPL) partner, China Unicom, among its target users, as well as a lack of desire among those users to sign up for two-year contracts and subscribe to 3G services.