Apple gets its deal in China; iPhone goes non-exclusive in the UK

China Unicom (CHU) announced on September 28 that it will begin selling Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone in China on October 1. China Unicom is China’s second largest mobile phone operator. (For more on how the Chinese players line up and the coming battle between Apple and Google (GOOG) in China see my August 6 post http://jubakpicks.com/2009/08/06/apple-and-google-go-head-to-head-in-chinas-mobile-phone-market/ )

Unicom said it will start selling 3G iPhones for 5,000 renminbi or $732, although the company didn’t say what model it would sell. 

China Mobile (CHL), the country’s biggest mobile operator, is set to begin selling the 3G OPhone, based on Google’s (GOOG) Android operating system, although the timing of that launch is still vague.

China Telecom (CHA), the smallest of China’s mobile operators, is in talks with Resarch in Motion (RIMM) to sell the Blackberry.

The question is, of course, how many consumers in China will buy an iPhone considering what seems to be a very high price? Read more