Apple iPad China's lone

Today, China's consumer electronics market, the "brilliance" may be all Apple snatched, because today, Apple will sell WiFi version of the iPad in the Chinese store, China Unicom will also begin today to accept the iPhone 4 contract booking. However, it is worth noting that the iPad, which is widely enjoyed abroad, is being sold solely by Apple. There will be no news when Apple’s products are introduced into China's Unicom.

"I don't have a convenient answer on all issues concerning China Unicom's cooperation with Apple on the iPhone and iPad. Everything is based on official caliber." Yesterday, a high-level executive from China Unicom responded to the "First Financial Daily" question. However, the top executive also admitted that the reason why Apple first launched the WiFi version of the iPad in China, instead of the 3G version of the iPad, shows that there are still some games between China Unicom and Apple. Everyone is actively preparing their own chips.

Cooperation is no longer close?

Previously, China Unicom insiders once revealed to this newspaper that the company will also introduce Apple iPad and iPhone 4. At present, the iPhone 4 handset introduced by China Unicom has obtained the network license from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the 3G iPad has not passed.

According to relevant sources from the Institute of Telecommunications of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Apple has adopted different strategies for the introduction of different versions of the iPad. The WiFi version of the iPad is introduced as a computer product, so it is faster; while the 3G version is required to be imported by China Unicom and counts as a communication device, the time will be longer. , 3G version of iPad has not yet passed the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of network license certification.

Even so, Apple released the iPad at the end of January this year. Since then, the iPad has been on the market in the United States for more than seven months. When the WiFi version or the 3G version of the iPad enters the Chinese market, it is completely in the hands of Apple. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's mobile phone network access license certification and testing is generally about 45 days. The 3G version of the iPad's network access time is similar. From this point of view, it is actually very easy for Apple to publish the WiFi version and the 3G version of the iPad at the same time in China. The fundamental problem may lie in the conditions for negotiating the introduction of the iPad with China Unicom. For this statement, Apple China related personnel refused to disclose any news.

"Apple wants sales of the market and products." The middle level of a multinational mobile phone company pointed out that the WiFi version of the iPad is cheaper, and its market space and sales in China are estimated to be much larger than the 3G version of the iPad. Moreover, Apple has always been tough in cooperation with operators. On the contrary, China Unicom has sold iPhones in China for more than 10 months, but sales performance does not seem to satisfy Apple.

The newspaper reported that as of the end of June, China Unicom had sold a maximum of 695,000 iPhones, a far cry from its original mission of “signing 2 million iPhones within one year (calculated from last October 30th)” signed with Apple. .

“Unicom’s iPhone is too expensive to sell at all.” China Unicom’s partner, a middle-tier mobile phone chain store in South China, disclosed to the newspaper yesterday that the company had taken 30 iPhones from Unicom in November last year. Selling, "Consumers just look far more, ask more, go back and buy parallel iPhones." This reporter also saw Unicom's iPhone counters at Gome's Guangzhou China Plaza store yesterday, only the 3G iPhone's signage and its contract price. The counters are basically left unattended.

For profit-seeking companies, the market sales situation naturally determines the tightness of cooperation. From this perspective, it is not difficult to understand why Apple will choose "own channels" to be the first to sell the WiFi version of the iPad. While iPhone 4 may be booked at the same time, it may be A compensation for Unicom’s efforts in iPhone marketing.

The feast of “parallel imports” retailers In fact, the most exciting thing about iPad and iPhone 4 being listed in China at the same time may not be Apple “fans”, but Apple’s parallel retail terminal merchants in China. "They will become the biggest beneficiaries of the iPad and iPhone 4's domestic listing." Wang Zhi, a large domestic supplier of apple "parallel imports", told the newspaper yesterday that the main profit point for Apple's parallel retail terminals is the sale of iPads and iPhones. The accessories, as well as providing follow-up cracking services, iPad and iPhone 4 officially listed to expand its customer base.

Yesterday, the reporter saw on the fourth floor of the China Plaza in Guangzhou. Eight Apple "parallel imports" retail booths actively solicited guests. They were not taboos and placed on a walkway. "A month ago, there were only four, and the last month has increased by four." An owner of Apple's "parallel imports" retail stalls said that listing iPad and iPhone 4 in China will not only impact business, but also stimulate business. The boss revealed that the "parallel import" iPad price may be more expensive than licensed, but many consumers who understand Apple will still choose "parallel imports", "'parallel imports' is more powerful, but also responsible for after-sales service, including crack. Genuine licensed may not be It's so convenient."

According to reports, Apple's "parallel imports" retailers generally earn about 500 yuan on iPad and iPhone hardware products, and fluctuate greatly. The real profit comes from the iPad and iPhone's accessories and after-sales upgrades and crack services.

"Apple's original accessories and non-original price difference nearly doubled, the gross profit rate of two types of accessories up to 50%." The boss said that the iPad and iPhone accessories are generally more than a dozen, which is Apple's "parallel" retail stalls The reason is that more accessories than products, "cut 50 yuan card, crack version can play free games, crack to 100 yuan."

In this regard, Wang Zhi said that the mainstream iPad listing has an impact on its own "parallel import" agents' interests, but it can promote the business of retail stalls. "Recently, the first-tier cities in China have increased the retailer of Apple's parallel imports by at least 50%." Wang Zhi-conservative estimates that the current domestic sales of iPhone "parallel imports" may exceed 2 million, while the iPad "parallel imports" sold more than 500,000.

"Apple's Chinese consumers are mainly fashion groups. They are not sensitive to prices." Zhang Yi, chief executive officer of Ai Media Market Consulting, pointed out that the vast majority of domestic iPad consumers go for fun software applications and games. However, at present, there are few interesting free softwares in Apple's App Store, and most of them are 1-2 US dollars. "For domestic consumers, it is still too expensive, and an iPad without an application may not be as good as a netbook." . Based on this, Apple's "parallel imports" business is booming.

For Apple, regardless of mainstream or parallel imports, sales are its own products, Apple wants to create a sales boom in the Chinese market. However, for China Unicom, it is necessary not only to face the market where "parallel imports" are rampant, but also to accept Apple's sky-high asking prices. The iPad and iPhone are crucial to China Unicom, directly pulling its 3G users. China Unicom’s announcement shows that since the introduction of the iPhone, 3G subscribers have increased by 6.54 million net, with an average monthly increase of 817,400 households, which exceeds China Telecom and China Mobile, and 3G users’ ARPU (a period of time from each operator The user's profit) is 134 yuan, far higher than its GSM users.

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