Apple’s Deal With China Mobile Is Already Bearing Fruit
February 20, 2014
In January, China Mobile saw 3G subscriptions increase by 7.4 percent year over the year. The reason? The arrival of the iPhone at the world’s largest wireless carrier, according to AppleInsider.
In a note to investors, Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Brian White notes that sales of 3G devices at China Mobile jumped 25 percent between December and January. This compared to a rise of just 3.2 percent month-over-month at No. 2 China Unicom, and flat sales at No. 3 China Telecom.
According to White, China Mobile now accounts for 47 percent of the country's 3G subscribers, which is an increase of 10 percent for the year.
The analyst believes that Apple’s fortunes will continue to rise in China as the carrier rolls out its 4G TD-LTE to more locations. Currently, the service is only available in 15 markets in the country.
The iPhone arrived at China Mobile on Jan. 17 after years of negotiations between the carrier and Apple. Foxconn was said to have shipped 1.4 million preordered iPhone 5s handsets to China Mobile, and with a subscriber base of over 760 million, the carrier is expected to account for a huge number of sales in 2014.
Earlier this week, IDC reported that Apple's share of China's smartphone market grew from 6 percent in the third quarter to 7 percent in Q4. Significantly, the fourth quarter was the first full quarter after Apple released its iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c in the country. Sales of the flagship handset in China are said to have driven Apple’s share of the market up.
See also: China's 3G Market Is Continuing To Boom, Apple Expected To Benefit In 2014,
