China Unicom: Free Cases For All, Just Don't Mention AntennaGate
by Joe White
August 24, 2010
The guys over at China Unicom have come up with a great way to make iPhone 4 customers forget about the AntennaGate when the handset is released in the East.
Instead of leaving Apple to hand out the free cases (which supposedly stops the antenna issue from occurring), China Unicom are going to do the deed themselves - offering iPhone 4 cases as a "free gift", according to a report by Caixin.
We're not yet sure whether the case will be handed over with the iPhone, or mailed after purchase (Apple-style). I guess it would make sense to give away the case straight away, if stores can get their hands on the stock. That way, there will be no room for anger or disappointment: if you loose signal bars, slap on the case.
The release of the iPhone itself is a big deal for the Chinese public, whose government had previously banned the sale of Wi-Fi enabled handsets. Apple has retailed iPhones in the country, however these models were not Wi-Fi enabled. Thankfully, things changed earlier this month, when the sale of a Wi-Fi enabled iPhone 3GS was finally permitted - meaning Chinese customers can now access a wireless network on their handsets.
iPhone 4 handsets go on sale in China on Sept. 16, and the iPad is soon expected to follow (though no date has been set as of this moment). We'll be posting more about the handset's launch when it finally hits Chinese stores.
In the meantime, be sure to let us know your thoughts on this scheme in the comments box below. Do you think China Unicom are on to something in handing out free cases to iPhone 4 customers, or do you think it's a futile attempt to mask what the whole world already knows? Either way, let us know! And, thanks to AppleInsider for spotting this.
