iPhonAsia.com

At a press conference today China Unicom executives whipped up interest in their forthcoming iPhone launch by outlining their new iPhone rate plans and providing price subsidy ranges for iPhone. The assembled media pressed for more details, but Unicom execs were coy and dodged questions about definitive pricing and apps/services that will come preloaded on China Unicom’s special iPhones. Recent leaks suggest that iPhones for China might include advanced 3G services such as SIM card-swipe (“wave-to-pay”) and Mobile TV.  The new “Wo” portal, specially built to support iPhone, also hints at China Unicom’s ambitious plans. More > HERE.

Beginning October 1st prospective buyers can “reserve” their iPhone on China Unicom’s website. The official launch date was previously rumored to be October 15th, but that date was not confirmed at today’s press conference. China Unicom’s official media release (accompanying today’s press conference) states that iPhone will launch near the end of next month (end of October). This delay may be due to the pending status of the second model iPhone for China (model A1325). More below.

Executives presiding at today’s press briefing included:

• China Unicom CEO, Chang Xiaobing
• China Unicom GM, Lu Yimin
• Vice President, Li Gang

China Unicom unveiled eight (8) different service packages for iPhones ranging from ultra-cheap student package 66 yuan (USD $9.67) 126 yuan (USD $18.36) per month to the full service package 886 yuan (USD $129.54) per month. China Unicom’s 3G service plans allow user to choose from:

• 120 to 880 SMS messages
• 15 to 95 MMS messages
• 450 MB to 4 GB of mobile data
• 320 to 3,000 minutes of talk time

How much will the official iPhone in China cost?

A “no contract” China Unicom version of iPhone 3GS (16 GB or 32 GB? Still trying to clarify) will retail for 5,000 yuan (USD $732.50). This matches up somewhat to the sim-unlocked (no contract) iPhone 3GS in Hong Kong via Hutchison “3.” An unlocked 32 GB iPhone 3GS goes for HK$6,288 (UDS $811.32).

5,000 yuan for iPhone in China may seem a bit pricey. However, keep in mind that this is for a no-contract version. Subsidies will bring the price down for those who chose to go “on contract” with China Unicom. One Four plans will enable the iPhone (3G & 3GS) models to be purchased for “0” yuan (“free”) albeit the service package will require a two-year contract with maximum messages/data (i.e. a higher monthly cost). See chart at the end of this post.

This “free” iPhone via China Unicom offer closely parallels a similar “free” iPhone option available via Hutchison “3” in Hong Kong.

China Unicom will provide iPhone retail price subsidies of 893 yuan to 4,253 (USD $130.56 to $621.83) yuan for iPhone buyers who choose one of the eight (8) multi-year contract plans. The handset “subsidy ranges” announced today were apparently for the 16GB and 32GB (“third generation”) versions of the iPhone, otherwise known as iPhone 3GS (China iPhone model A1325). China Unicom will also launch the “second gen” iPhone with 8GB and 16GB versions, otherwise known as iPhone 3G (China iPhone model A1324).

Questions over the WAPI/WiFi status of iPhones for China were deflected at today’s China Unicom press conference. The iPhone 3G model for China (A1324) is rumored to have had its WiFi chip disabled due to the prohibition of WiFi on mobile phones that was in place prior to May 2009 (iPhone A1324 was submitted for approval prior to May 2009, hence no-WiFi). Whether WiFi on iPhone model 1324 has been disabled at a hardware or software level remains unknown. Whether this iPhone model includes China’s authorized alternative to WiFi, otherwise known as Wireless LAN Authentication and Privacy Infrastructure (WAPI), is also unknown. Finally, there was also some speculation that this model might have recently been re-submitted to the MIIT, this time around requesting approval for WAPI/WiFi. More > HERE

The second iPhone for China (model A1325) apparently remains in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT’s) review (may still be pending a network access license). This more advanced model is based on the iPhone 3GS and, when it is approved, it may include the Wireless LAN Authentication and Privacy Infrastructure (WAPI)/WiFi stack (allowed after May 2009), thereby providing users with access to WiFi.

China Unicom’s CEO, Chang Xiaobing, has been cautiously optimistic that this second model (A1325 based on iPhone 3GS) will be approved for the WAPI/WiFi stack. However, he has been reluctant to make any proclamations until the MIIT has formally ruled on the matter. Chang Xiaobing had no comment on iPhone’s WAPI/WiFi status at today’s press conference.

While iPhone “service plan” pricing was made clear today, China Unicom provided only “subsidy ranges” for iPhone (definitive retail pricing TBA). This may be due to the “pending” status of iPhone A1325 and the uncertainty surrounding WAPI/WiFi. If WiFi is disallowed, the price might be adjusted accordingly. This will no doubt be cleared up in the next few weeks … perhaps just in time for a late October launch?

iPhone distribution plans?

Distribution details were not shared at today’s conference. For readers who have an interest, here is iPhonAsia’s best guess as to probable iPhone distributors in China:

• China Unicom’s Vsens
• Carrefour (139 stores in China)
• Dixintong a.k.a. D-Phone (largest handset chain-store in China – Rumors of an iPhone distribution deal with Dixintong go back to Dec 2007),
• Gome (610 stores – controlled by Huang Guangyu, China’s richest man)
• Suning.
• Best Buy China
• Wal-Mart China (158 stores in China)
• Cybermart was also in the mix, but that report was denied by Foxconn (Cybermart’s parent).
• Last but not least … Apple Stores in Beijing - Sanlitun and soon at Qianmen.

Tags: A1324, A1325, Apple, Chang Xiaobing, China, China Unicom, iPhone, Launch, launch date, Lu Yi-min, MIIT, Plans, Price, subsidy, WAPI, WiFi, WO