Sales of Apple's iPhone could surpass 25 million in China this year and soar past 35 million in 2013 according to predictions from Deutsche Bank's Christ Whitmore.
Apple's handset sold upwards of 6 million devices in the first quarter of 2012, but Whitmore believes that the iPhone is "just getting started in China."
Whitmore expects Apple's two carrier partners - China Telecom and China Unicom - to end up serving 300 million 3G subscribers by the end of 2013.
That's a potential userbase for Apple that could rise to 425 million if China Mobile is also brought on board as a partner.
Growth in the east
Benefiting from a growth in 3G subscribers from China Telecom and China Unicorn, Whitmore estimates Apple will be able to secure 20-25 percent of the market.
That would equate to 35 million iPhone sold in China by the end of 2013.
Though not an official carrier, China Mobile already has 15 million iPhone users on its network, but said userbase is locked out from achieving good 3G wireless speeds due to incompatible networks.
Super six
In comparison, Samsung currently holds a dominant 28 percent share of the market, followed by Nokie, Huawei, and ZTE. Apple currently lies in fifth place with nine percent.
It's claimed that could all change, however, if Apple strikes up a deal with China Mobile and readies the launch of sixth-generation iPhone.
"We believe the iPhone is extremely well positioned to capture the tremendous growth in China and long-term opportunity for the iPhone in this market is substantial," said Whitmore in a talk with investors.
In January 2012, Morgan Stanley pegged the iPhone to reach 40 million sales in China by the end of 2013.
[source: Apple Insider]
News
Fresh out of the packaging, Tom joins Pocket Gamer with a chip on his shoulder and a degree in Journalism. Naively, Tom believes there's a star-studded career in video games and has penned words across the internet in between praying to the almighty Nintendo gods.
Top Stories
as
News
8 hours, 38 minutes ago
Nexon banks on big Dungeon & Fighter Mobile China launch as Q1 revenue declines
as
News
9 hours, 48 minutes ago
Netmarble cuts losses but revenue falls in Q1 after lack of new game releases
Feature
May 14th, 2024
Matej Lančarič's Squad Busters deep dive: Under the skin of 2024's biggest launch yet
Feature
May 14th, 2024
53 top mobile games in soft launch: Squad Busters, Battle Guys: Royale, Plants vs. Zombies 3, LEGO Hill Climb Adventures, and more
Events
Valencia Indie Summit 2024 | Europe | May 16th |
Mobidictum Meetup Berlin May 2024 | Europe | May 16th |
Digital Dragons | Europe | May 19th |
GamesBeat Summit 2024 | North America | May 20th |
Mobidictum Meetup Tallinn May 2024 | Europe | May 21st |
Nordic Game Spring 2024 | Nordic | May 21st |
Impact 2024 - Indie Games | May 23rd | |
Morocco Gaming Expo | Africa | May 24th |