The latest iOS smartphone is doing rather well for Apple across the globe where the smartphone has become available. But there was a little rumour that over in China customer’s lining up to pick up the new larger display handset when it was released in China on the 14th of this month, didn’t see the usual massive lines that previous iPhone releases had seen in the country. However, those rather subdued lines hasn’t stopped the iPhone 5 in China still doing well for Apple over the first weekend of availability.
An article over on Slash Gear reports that Apple has announced that the iPhone 5 sold 2 million units over the first weekend of availability in China, and although compared to the iOS smartphone selling five million in the United States on its first weekend, it does appear the iPhone 5 will do very well in China for Apple.
Apparently in the run up to the release of the Chinese iPhone 5, China Unicom on the first day only managed to garner some 100,000 pre-orders for the smartphone, but after three days those pre-orders had moved to in excess of 200,000.
Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO posted to the Apple website that customer response to the iPhone 5 in the country was incredible and that they set a new record for first weekend sales in the country.
Apparently the reason for those subdued lines at outlets for the iPhone 5 was down to Apple using a new reservation system, which apparently gave customers who were after the iPhone 5 a time when they could pick up their smartphone and thus avoided the usual long lines of waiting customers.
On Friday however, China wasn’t the only new country to gain the iOS handset, because the fruity named firm also released the device in another 32 countries including South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Turkey, the UEA and Russia. Furthermore the latest Apple handset will also be releasing elsewhere as of this Friday the 21st of December including such countries as Barbados, Egypt and Vietnam.
Of course those other countries will not gain the iPhone 5 on the 21st of December if that Mayan prediction of the world’s end comes true, as there wont be anyone around to actually purchase the iPhone 5.
The iPhone 5 in China is available in both CDMA and WCDMA tech depending on which Chinese carrier you purchase the handset from either China Unicom and China Telecom, who offer the smartphone in both black or white and differing storage options.