 (Source: intomobile.com)
Apple is expected to rebound with the iPhone 5 launch
Apple's position in the Chinese smartphone market was bumped from No. 4 to No. 6 in the third quarter as China-based brands fire up the competition.
Apple, which previously held the No. 4 spot in the Chinese mobile phone market, slipped to No. 6 in Q3 due to its low number of shipments, according to research firm IDC. Out of China's 60 million mobile phone shipments in Q3, Apple's iPhone accounted for less than 10 percent.
China is the world's largest cell phone market with over one billion mobile subscribers at present. Chinese electronics brands have been pushing sales harder with better prices and enhanced features.
Another issue is that less than one-fifth of the one billion subscribers still use the 3G network, according to Reuters. Apple's iPhone 4S and previous do not have 4G compatibility, so other options in the market likely looked a lot more attractive.
However, IDC expects Apple's position to jump back up after the release of the iPhone 5 in December. The iPhone 5 was released in the U.S. back in September, but Chinese residents had to wait on regulatory approval to have the device sold in the country. Now that Apple has that approval, the iPhone 5 will make its way to the mobile market in China this month.
The iPhone 5 finally has 4G compatibility and a larger screen at nearly 4 inches. These and other new features should make the newest addition to the iPhone family a competitive threat in the Chinese mobile market.
The ranking of electronics manufacturers in China's mobile market is as follows, from first to sixth place: Samsung, Lenovo, Coolpad, ZTE Corp., Huawei Technologies Co. and Apple.
Source: Reuters
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