Chinese Apple online store publishes New Year Gift Guide
updated 03:30 am EST, Fri January 11, 2013
Newly-available iPad mini, third-party accessories featured
As part of a continuing push into the Chinese and Pacific Rim markets, Apple has published a new gift guide on its online store for the Chinese New Year, being held this year on February 10. The holiday is a major event in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and other areas with a sizeable Chinese immigrant populations, such as the west coasts of the US and Canada. The gift guide prominently features the iPad mini, which has recently become available in China.
The Wi-Fi version of the iPad mini has been out for a short while in China and is continually selling out as quickly as Apple can replenish the stock, and CEO Tim Cook confirmed earlier on Thursday during his visit to the country that the cellular version should be shipping later on this month. In addition to the iPad, the guide offers a mix of Apple and third-party products, including an iRig keyboard and Apple's own SmartCover accessory, M.I.C. Gadget reports.
The company is offering free shipping and gift wrapping as part of the service for purchases, and the guide is available in China's mainland and various territories. The Hong Kong version of the page is printed in English, but priced in local currency. In China itself, the holiday is known as the "Spring Festival" and is a long celebration with gifts, dances, fireworks and traditional red lanterns. The Western 2013 celebration brings in the "Year of the Snake."
