According to local reports, the iPhone may be made available with a service contract for as little as US$200 – as much as one-fifth the price of handsets and contracts offered by market leaders including Samsung and LG.
Apple has not released further details of the launch, such as the networks it is in talks with to provide its operational services or a timeline of when the phones will be available.
In a market accustomed to using home-grown companies to provide them with their mobile needs – largely because the Government has imposed protective rules to give domestic players a leg-up in the country – the move has been viewed as a defining moment that may result in launches by other foreign mobile players, such as Research in Motion, which currently does not have the right to distribute its BlackBerry in the market.
According to Duncan Clark, chairman of BDA China, which monitors digital trends in the region, the iPhone’s introduction has the potential to alter the mobile landscape by determining lower phone prices – eventually.
“Nothing’s going to happen overnight but the iPhone’s introduction can provide innovations on mobile design and for local business models. There may be challenges presented to traditional local carriers, too, and the iPhone may be shaking things up in that aspect,” Clark said. “There are also intriguing possibilities surrounding the App Store, which may also all but cut out the operator as it looks to third-party developers, which is different from what we see now in Korea. It’ll be interesting to see how consumers exercise the power of choice.”
Apple’s announcement comes during an active year in the region. In August, Apple confirmed the long-awaited news that it would launch in China via carrier China Unicom. The deal – not exclusive to China Unicom – has also set in motion a media pitch for the launch of its phone, tipped to go to Dentsu.
Apple has not released further details of the launch, such as the networks it is in talks with to provide its operational services or a timeline of when the phones will be available.
In a market accustomed to using home-grown companies to provide them with their mobile needs – largely because the Government has imposed protective rules to give domestic players a leg-up in the country – the move has been viewed as a defining moment that may result in launches by other foreign mobile players, such as Research in Motion, which currently does not have the right to distribute its BlackBerry in the market.
According to Duncan Clark, chairman of BDA China, which monitors digital trends in the region, the iPhone’s introduction has the potential to alter the mobile landscape by determining lower phone prices – eventually.
“Nothing’s going to happen overnight but the iPhone’s introduction can provide innovations on mobile design and for local business models. There may be challenges presented to traditional local carriers, too, and the iPhone may be shaking things up in that aspect,” Clark said. “There are also intriguing possibilities surrounding the App Store, which may also all but cut out the operator as it looks to third-party developers, which is different from what we see now in Korea. It’ll be interesting to see how consumers exercise the power of choice.”
Apple’s announcement comes during an active year in the region. In August, Apple confirmed the long-awaited news that it would launch in China via carrier China Unicom. The deal – not exclusive to China Unicom – has also set in motion a media pitch for the launch of its phone, tipped to go to Dentsu.
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