DailyTech - Apple Falls to 6th Place in China's Mobile Market

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Gadgets Apple Falls to 6th Place in China's Mobile Market
Tiffany Kaiser - December 6, 2012 9:40 PM

38 comment(s) - last by Azethoth.. on Dec 10 at 3:54 PM

(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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RE: The End is Near

By Tony Swash on 12/7/2012 3:00:54 PM , Rating: 2

quote:
They aren't gonna stay profitable much longer if your precious stock keeps dropping at terminal velocity.

How does stock price drive profitability??

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RE: The End is Near

By Dorkyman on 12/7/2012 7:28:09 PM , Rating: 2

Because a very large part of Apple's success is its "cult" status, the belief that they are Godlike and everything they do they do spectacularly well.

Then along comes the stock price crash, and former acolytes are left scratching their heads and wondering why the Golden Child is no longer golden.

I worked for Apple back in the 1980's. I left with their good graces to start my own company. No one needs to educate me about Apple pros and cons.

That's how.

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RE: The End is Near

By momorere on 12/7/2012 9:15:54 PM , Rating: 2

You will have to forgive Tony as he only knows what crApple tells him like the good employee/sheep he is. He can't think outside of the box as it is against the Macolyte religion. I just wish that all companies could have employees 1/2 as dedicated as he is.

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"We shipped it on Saturday. Then on Sunday, we rested." -- Steve Jobs on the iPad launch