Apple promotes sales of the iPhone 4 in China

While the budget iPhone exists only in theory, the US technical giant promotes the sale of their old model, iPhone 4 in China to grab a share of the local market - this information has provided research firm IDC. She also reported on Monday that the number of deliveries 4 8GB version of the iPhone in China grew in the first quarter of this year by 211% compared to the previous quarter. But even with these figures Apple is in fifth place in the Chinese smartphone market, having a share of 9%, and keeping up with market leader Samsung, which captured 19%.

IDC analyst named Teck Zhung Wong divided us the following information.

The most recent "apple" smartphone, iPhone 5, is still sold well. However, low-cost models of Android phones, which cost no more than $ 200, is actively supplied to China. In contrast to them the price tag on the iPhone 5 starts with the digits 859 dollars if to buy it directly from Apple.

The situation is that the Chinese market has a wide selection of Android phones at low prices. Almost 90% of supply - are phones on Android, so that, in actual fact, Apple has no competitive product in terms of affordable prices.

The smartphone market in China is growing rapidly. Number of smartphone shipments to reach 78 million units in the first quarter, compared with the first quarter last year, representing an increase by 117%.

Apple is trying to take a place in the sun in the emerging China market, and in order to promote the iPhone 4, the company came up with financial incentives for its partners. One such stimuli - with a high percentage of product sales. The analyst believes that this is a temporary measure, and that Apple is not a cheap alternative at the moment, so the company is doing in her power. Prices for the model with 8 GB of memory start at $ 501 at the Apple store, but the mobile operators in China, for example, China Unicom, offer phones with contracts.

Some analysts expect that Apple will enter the market of inexpensive smartphones with a new, low-budget iPhoneWhich will be released later this year. But, according to IDC forecasts, the device does not appear as soon as later in the future, when there will be the possibility to equip the device the necessary details.

Apple still remains one of the most popular brands in the country. But the demand for iPhone is on the wane, because there is a cheaper alternative - Android phone with lots of features, and they flood the Chinese market.

"Consumers have questioned the need to pay more for high-end phones. Could Apple to convince consumers? This is the big question. "