Apple sells over 2 million iPhone 5s in China over weekendDecember 17, 2012 - 11:35 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Despite a wintry and mostly deserted launch last week in Beijing, Apple Inc. said it sold over two million iPhone 5s over the weekend, The Wall Street Journal reports. That’s almost equivalent to the 2.1 million iPhone 4S units it sold in China for the whole of the third quarter, according to statistics from research firm Analysys International. Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said in a statement the sales numbers were a new record for “first weekend sales” in China, and that “China is a very important market for us.” Apple’s China sales hit $5.7 billion in the fiscal fourth quarter through September, roughly 16% of the company’s global total. Demand for the new iPhone indicates Apple still holds considerable cachet among middle- and upper-class Chinese consumers, though its rivals are gaining dominance in the lower-end segment of the market. Many vendors interviewed in recent months said they were confident of good sales once the new iPhone came out, while some others were a bit more worried, pointing to the popularity of high-end smartphones made by companies like Samsung Electronics Co. Sales of the iPhone 4S had also slowed ahead of the iPhone 5′s launch. China, which passed the U.S. to become the world’s largest smartphone market in the third quarter according to Strategy Analytics, is an important battleground for Apple and makers of Android phones. Phones running Google Inc.’s Android operating system claimed 56% of the market for handsets priced above 3,000 yuan ($480) in the third quarter, while Apple had 42%, according to Analysys International. Android phones accounted for 2.8 million handsets, while iPhones totaled 2.1 million. Analysts say Apple will eventually have to contend with falling average prices for smartphones and also work harder to come to terms with China’s largest mobile provider, China Mobile. China Mobile’s unique mobile standard precludes it from offering an iPhone that makes use of its third-generation wireless service. Top stories Yerevan will host the 2024 edition of the World Congress On Information Technology (WCIT). Rustam Badasyan said due to the lack of such regulation, the state budget is deprived of VAT revenues. Krisp’s smart noise suppression tech silences ambient sounds and isolates your voice for calls. Gurgen Khachatryan claimed that the "illegalities have been taking place in 2020." Partner news Most popular in the section | IDBank, Dalma team up for Caucasian Deer Reintroduction Program IDBank has joined Dalma Garden Mall’s Green Challenge to support the Caucasian red deer reintroduction project. Through Ucom’s support the 12th Sunchild Festival concludes On May 24-28, with the support of Ucom, the 12th international environmental festival Sunchild took place in Yerevan. U.S., Turkey emphasize importance of Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal Jake Sullivan and Akif Cagatay Kilic have discussed the normalization process between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Armenia coach expects good football in Slovenia friendly The Armenian national team has left for Ljubljana a friendly match against Slovenia on June 4. |