iPhones Go on Sale to China Mobile’s 760 Million Users Friday

courtesy Apple Inc.

iPhones Go on Sale to China Mobile’s 760 Million Users Friday (CNBC)

This Friday, iPhones will go on sale through China Mobile, the world’s largest mobile company with more than 760 million subscribers. Apple’s 16-gigabyte, 5S model will be priced at 5,288 yuan, which is about $874, while its 64-gig 5S will start at 6,888 yuan or $1,139. Apple CEO Tim Cook said of Friday’s launch, “This is a watershed day… We see this as bringing the world’s best smartphone to the very largest and now the fastest network in China.” Cook went on to say that his company sold more iPhones in Q413 than ever before. Although China Mobile did not have exact figures, it reported that as of January 13, 2014, it had received 1.2 million preorders for iPhones — about 60,000 per day since Dec. 25. Apple’s deal with China Mobile means that iPhones are now available through all of the country’s state-run telecom carriers. On the investing front, Research firm Trefis anticipates the deal could add $45 billion to Apple’s value, if China Mobile is able to maintain its market leader position in 3G and 4G, as it has in 2G systems. Now it’s up to you to decide if that will be the case.

Wayne Ellis

Wayne Ellis has been involved in the financial publishing industry for more than 15 years. During that time, he has helped to edit, to market and to launch products and services for Ernst & Young, LLC, Fidelity Investments, Agora, LLC, and Eagle Financial Publications. He currently puts his broad-based experience and industry expertise to use as a contributing writer for Eagle Financial Publications. He also is a graduate of Arizona State University.