苹果iPhone5中国内地上市

Apple’s latest smartphone, the iPhone 5 has finally arrived on the mainland. Figures from iPhone carrier China Unicom, tells us that it's already received more than 300,000 pre-sale orders as of Monday.

In the past we've seen remarkable scenes at Apple stores here in China, whenever a new i-product has hit the market. Joining us in the studio is BizAsia’s Yin Hang, who braved the snow to be at Apple’s retail store in Wangfujing bright and early at 7am this morning.

Yin Hang said, "Yes, I was there for three hours at Apple’s largest store in Asia. But apple fans’ passion was hit maybe by the snow or its reservation system. Lots of Apple fans told me that they hadn’t been told they needed to reserve a phone a day before."

The queue of Apple Fans snaking more than a hundred of meters is absent this time, and so are the iPhne scalpers. Apple has adopted a reservation system to ensure security and avoid supply shortages. In 2011, the launch of the iPhone 4S led to fighting at Beijing’s Sanlitun store among security staff and scalpers.

But for these hardcore fans, the joy and excitement this time is unchanged. Zhang Kun booked the iPhone 5 yesterday, and he came at 7:40 to pick it up.

Zhang Kun, iPhone 5 buyer, said, ""I believe Apple’s products are still far ahead of other products. No matter whether it’s product quality or after-sales service. The iPhone 5 has a high-definition screen that’s far better than an Android phone. And its processing capability is also strong. Apple products, for me, are perfect."

The iPhone 5 boasts stronger processing power, thinner and faster user experiences.The basic-16 gigabyte iPhone 5 costs 5,288 yuan, or 850 US dollars, without a contract.

Though the iPhone continues to be popular among Chinese consumers, this may not be enough to hold the interest of China’s 290 million smartphone users. China still remains Apple’s second largest market, bringing in around 15 percent of its total revenue. But iPhone sales are losing traction to competition from Samsung and Nokia, as well as domestic handset makers such as Huawei, ZTE, and Lenovo. Unlike Apple, they all use the android system.