While Apple ’s iPhone is sell well across the globe , China has come out as its fastest mature market for the gadget .
In a group discussion call on Wednesday , Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook said that for the first three month of 2011 , iPhone sales agreement in “ Greater China ” grew by almost 250 pct from the same full stop last year . This brought Apple ’s revenue in the first fiscal one-half to just under $ 5 billion for the Greater China mart , an increase of almost four times from 2010 .
The $ 5 billion bring forth typify about 10 per centum of Apple ’s receipts , Cook contribute in the conference call . “ So we ’re extremely happy with how we ’re doing in China , ” he read . In the U.S. , iPhone sales grew by 155 pct .
It ’s unclear , however , where in China the gadget is selling the most . Cook ’s mention to Greater China includes the mainland , Hong Kong and the island of Taiwan , said Apple spokeswoman Carolyn Wu .
But analysts have say that in mainland China , Apple is seeing a major displacement with how consumer are viewing the iconic smartphone . When Apple ’s iPhone 4 launched there in later September , itwas a hitwith Chinese consumers , rapidly selling out and lead to shortages .
Earlier version of the iPhone had not met with the same reception , said Mark Natkin , the managing director for Beijing - based inquiry firm Marbridge Consulting .
Apple did n’t officially begin selling the iPhone in mainland China until former 2009 , more than two years after it was found in the U.S. Even then , the iPhone betray in the country was designed without Wi - Fi capableness , so as to comply with Chinese technology regulations at the sentence .
“ Eventually Apple was allowed to put up the iPhone with Wi - Fi functionality , ” Natkin said . “ But by the time they were countenance to do so , the global launch of the iPhone 4 was just some months away . So again many users just waited for the correct time . ”
The iPhone 4 ’s appealing features and substance abuser interface have made it an attractive smartphone for buyers in China , Natkin said . Furthermore , the machine is a status symbol in China , he added .
“ If you look at the Apple experience entrepot in Beijing , it ’s packed everyday , ” he say . “ People have a very high regard for the Apple brand and for its ability to innovate . ”
But even as Apple ’s COO noted the strong sales event of the iPhone in China , the equipment is far from becoming the dominant front in the country ’s smartphone mart .
At the remainder of 2010 , Apple had 8.3 percent of China ’s smartphone market , an increase from the 5.4 percent it hold at the start of the year , according to Beijing - establish inquiry firm Analysys International . Nokia , Samsung and Motorola remain to lead in the food market .
“ It ’s on-key the iPhone has sell well , but in China , Apple ’s share of the securities industry is still small , ” said Wang Yan , a senior psychoanalyst with research firm Ovum . In the U.S. , Apple leads the smartphone grocery with a 28.6 percent share , according to data collected by The Nielsen Company .
Apple ’s iPhones could have been trade well in China , but the company only slowly began realizing its merchandising scheme , Wang said . analyst have pointed to the supply shortages of Apple ’s iPhone 4 in China , which survive for months , along with the company ’s small-scale distribution web for the machine in the land .
“ I do n’t think Apple has made China an crucial market . But I imagine in the futurity they will do a better job of pay attention to it , ” Wang say .
China has more than 850 mobile phone users . Smartphone sales in the country reached an figure 62 million unit in 2010 , and are expect to jump to 95 million for this year , according to Analysys International .
