iPhone in China

Speaking of the iPhone, have you been following the news that almost half a million unlocked iPhones are now in use in China? That's over 10% of all the iPhones Apple has sold. The New York Times also reported on the amazing popularity of iPhones in the country where they're manufactured but aren't yet offered through a carrier tie-in, thanks to Apple's insistence on carrier agreements with many more restrictions than other device manufacturers'.

In China, unlocked iPhones aren't priced like designer knockoffs. They sell for around $555--almost a 40% premium over the US price. Clearly the highly evolved Asian mobile market places a high value on the iPhone's impressive design and features. How much longer will Apple and China Mobile both continue to leave money on the table by not doing a deal that legitimizes the iPhone's presence in the world's most populous, and mobile-mad, country?

iPling welcomes Chinese-speaking iPhone users! Earlier this year we launched the Chinese translation of our web site. Next up, we'll put our talented Chinese translation team of Shirley Hu and Katheleen Yu to work on the mobile UI. The choice of a mobile, versus web-based, platform for iPling is all about ubiquity. We don't want to limit iPling to one language or culture. We're about connecting, not carving out. One world, one iPling.