iPhone was formally launched in China on October 30th. The main launch ceremony was in Beijing at The Place. 30 provinces across China staged their own launch day events. Sales commenced immediately following the ceremonies. iPhone will be sold through several distribution partners, including: Gome (610 stores), Carrefour (139 stores in China), Suning, Best Buy China, Dazhong Electric and last but not least, Apple Stores in Beijing – Sanlitun and soon at Qianmen. Apple’s online store in China will provide full iPhone marketing info and refer buyers to the Apple Store or to China Unicom’s Vsens.com site should they opt to make an online purchase. There were also rumors that iPhones might eventually be sold through Wal-Mart China and Dixintong “D-Phone” (largest handset distributor in China).
Last night some 1,000+ queued up to buy iPhone at China Unicom’s “Wo” store adjacent to The Place. Braving the cool rainy weather, several hundred iPhone buyers were also in line to buy iPhone at the Apple Store in Beijing’s Sanlitun Village. The video below shows the festivities at The Place in Beijing.
The Beijing News has a report today noting that 140,000 iPhone pre-orders were received online between October 1 and October 29.
Click > here to watch VIDEO (English) – Note: pricing announced by anchor in this video is not accurate – there are four (4) price/plan options that reduce iPhone price to $0.00 (free)
Click > here to watch VIDEO (Mandarin)
Apple VP Greg Joswiak delivers a speech at the Oct 30 launch event
Keep up the good work. all these payola misfits, pretending to be news reporters, are doing their darned best to bring down apple. I see the hand of the biggest manipulators of WS.
I hope China Unicom is not constrained by apple to report the numbers as they happen.