Apple has reported slow sales of the iPhone in its first week of official trading, with only 5,000 units sold.
According to Bloomberg, a possible reason for the slow uptake is the comparatively high price for the device, which at 6,999 Yuan ($1,025) is over $700 higher than US prices.
The Chinese phone network Unicom, which bought the network rights for the device is selling them at a price that is 25 per cent higher than in neighbouring Hong Kong, and due to Apple’s unwillingness to change any features of the device it suffers from a lack of compatibility with standard Chinese WiFi connections.
Additionally, the underground ‘grey’ market for jailbroken iPhones, which are not tied to any specific network and retail for a considerably lower price than the official versions, is thriving.
This is not the first time that Apple has failed to significantly impact an emerging market. According to Business Week, the iPhone has yet to see 20,000 units sold after two years in the Indian market.
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