Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s iPhone 6 will not be shipped to China in the first phase of the launch, and the news has certainly disappointed fans in the country, says a report from PC World. During the launch of the iPhone 5 and 5S, Apple included China in the first phase. Since 2011, Greater China, which includes mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, has become Apple’s second-largest market after the United States.
Chinese fans upset with Apple
One Chinese user posted on Sina Weibo that the company gets its phones assembled in China but does not ship them there first. Others have said they will boycott the Apple product for delaying the shipment. “They are obviously looking down upon China. Let’s all boycott Apple,” wrote one user on the Chinese Twitter-like site.
However, still others held fast to Apple, saying that they will travel to Hong Kong where the iPhone 6 will start selling on Sept.19.
There are some who believe that Apple is punishing China for leaking some of details ahead of the iPhone 6 unveiling. Last week, some of the biggest Chinese mobile carriers, including China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom, posted some information about the product. China Telecom even posted pictures of the iPhone 6 on its website ahead of the launch.
Probable reasons for iPhone 6 delay in China
There was no comment from Apple about the delay in the iPhone 6’s launch in China, but regulatory checks by the Chinese government might be one of the reasons. Gene Cao, an analyst with Forrester Research, said that the iPhone 6 has not received the necessary “network access” from Chinese regulators, which is mandatory for all commercially-sold mobile phones in China.
Last year, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that due to regulatory checks, shipments of previously-launched devices have been delayed. At times, the company’s iPhones and iPads arrived in the markets week or months after releasing and going on sale in the United States.
Does delay means more demand?
According to Cao, the delay in shipments will not affect demand for the new iPhone 6. The analyst said that the iPhone 6 will be available soon, as some local mobile carriers are already offering pre-orders for the device.
Citing the example of the delayed launch of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, Bryan Ma, an analyst with research firm IDC, said that due to the delay in the iPhone 6 in China, there is a chance that demand will raise even higher.
