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China's Largest E-Commerce Store Has Sold Only Five iPhones

Thursday December 3, 2009 8:44 am PST by Eric Slivka
IDG News Service reports that a China Unicom iPhone store on Taobao.com, China's largest e-commerce site, has sold only five iPhones in the two weeks since it began offering the device's for sale. Taobao.com is similar to eBay in that it serves as an online auction site but also connects other sellers such as retailers and wholesalers with customers.

An official iPhone store on Taobao.com, the biggest Chinese e-commerce Web site similar to eBay, has sold just two 8GB iPhones and three 16GB iPhones, according to figures on the site. The store launched in the middle of last month, a few weeks after China Unicom began offering the first official iPhones in China.

The news follows reports of very meager sales of the iPhone in its initial launch weekend on China Unicom. Factors cited in the slow sales include competition from unlocked iPhones from other countries that, unlike the current Chinese versions, offer Wi-Fi connectivity, and a lack of widespread credit card usage, a necessity for App Store purchases.
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bbplayer5
Posted: 32 months ago
Thats actually kinda funny :)
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iOrlando
Posted: 32 months ago
according to schiller: that figure shows the amazing growth we are seeing when we compare those sales to last years numbers.

according to steve: 5 is alot better than 0.
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bradl
Posted: 32 months ago
Take note, people who want/claim that the iPhone is going to Verizon...

This is what happens when you sell a very crippled phone, as what VZW would do (granted, VZW would probably not do something like kill WiFi). I also find it rather interesting that these people are part of that huge 500 million group of people using CDMA. Yet, unlocked/GSM phones are the big factor and possibly is outselling the crippled iPhone.

Lots of interesting points to take from this one...

BL.
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OllyW
Posted: 32 months ago
Some you win, some you lose.
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reckless2k2
Posted: 32 months ago
It's amazing that the phone is wildly overpriced in the same country that makes the phone. The government's forced stripping of certain functions doesn't help either.
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hsotnicam8002
Posted: 32 months ago
Why do they need iphones when they have so many looky likey?
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jayducharme
Posted: 32 months ago
It's an interesting chess game, isn't it? Apple wants to tap the huge number of potential sales in China, and the government wants to keep their control over data flow. Apple agrees to release a crippled iPhone, and next to no one buys it. Apple can say, "I told you so," which might pressure the Chinese government into relaxing its rules. Or China can simply say, "Too bad for you" and not change a thing.

China has a burgeoning affluent consumer market, and China can't keep a lid on that forever. People like their toys, no matter what country they're from.
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MacFly123
Posted: 32 months ago

It's amazing that the phone is wildly overpriced in the same country that makes the phone. The government's forced stripping of certain functions doesn't help either.


I know lol, isn't it ironic?! That would piss me off so bad if I lived there lol!

I think sales will go up a LOT when they get it with wifi this month sometime! I think people are waiting for that and know. I would be pissed at the Chinese government if I were Apple lol! :rolleyes:
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kas23
Posted: 32 months ago

It's an interesting chess game, isn't it? Apple wants to tap the huge number of potential sales in China, and the government wants to keep their control over data flow. Apple agrees to release a crippled iPhone, and next to no one buys it. Apple can say, "I told you so," which might pressure the Chinese government into relaxing its rules. Or China can simply say, "Too bad for you" and not change a thing.

China has a burgeoning affluent consumer market, and China can't keep a lid on that forever. People like their toys, no matter what country they're from.


The government has already changed its stance on this issue. There will be a WiFi enabled iPhone sold in China in the next few months and this is the reason it is not selling.

http://www.fonearena.com/blog/2009/10/30/apple-finally-releases-the-iphone-in-china-wifi-less.html
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ArtOfWarfare
Posted: 32 months ago
I'm curious how many of these crippled iPhones Apple actually manufactured and how much money was lost manufacturing all the unsold iPhones.
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