Numbers a minute fraction of major launches

China Unicom has only acquired a little over 5,000 iPhone subscribers since officially introducing the device last weekend, according to Reuters. Nearly 300 people attended a Friday launch ceremony at a Unicom store in Beijing, but actual sales have been marginal, paling in comparison to other countries. On the original launch weekend of the iPhone 3GS, Apple sold over 1 million units divided between just eight countries.

Unicom has also clarified that it has signed up over 1 million 3G network users to date, not gray-market iPhone 3Gs. The company does have a special amnesty program for imported iPhones.

Several factors could be to blame for phone sales; the most prominent is likely pricing, as Chinese iPhones are expensive compared to their American counterparts, at the high end costing the equivalent of over $1,000. Such prices can account for as much as a third or more of a Chinese worker's salary, making even the lowest-end iPhone a luxury. Imported iPhones are substantially cheaper, and still supported by Unicom's network.

Foreign devices are moreover equipped with Wi-Fi, whereas current Chinese regulations prevent the technology from being installed in any locally-built cellphone. It is believed that Wi-Fi could be allowed on Chinese iPhones in the next several months, leaving virtually no incentive to buy present models.

by MacNN Staff