Baidu.com - Nandu exclusively learned from a telecom insider that Apple will officially announce its cooperation with China Telecom next week and release the CDMA version of iPhone 4S. Currently, local provincial companies of China Telecom are doing the final preparations before the launch, including the对接of sales systems and channel distribution.
Currently, provincial companies of China Telecom have received group notifications to attend the final training and deployment in the south by the end of this month. Participants in the training will mainly be responsible for the sales of Tianyi terminals in various provinces and cities. The most concerned selling price and contract plan will also be determined at the training meeting at the end of the month. "China Telecom expects a market of 80 million CDMA terminals in 2012, and the iPhone 4S is here to help," Guotai Junan's latest research report pointed out that China Telecom has finally obtained the Apple wonder weapon, but who is the target user of the iPhone 4S? How to sell differentiation? How to achieve added value, "This is a big test for Telecom."
"Although the iPhone is the main mobile phone in the 2012 terminal development dragon plan, it also includes other cost-effective Android smartphones," according to telecom insiders, based on the strategic deployment of China Telecom Group, telecom terminal strategy will first focus on mid-range smart phones priced between 700 yuan and 2000 yuan, developing multiple operating systems, "the iPhone is just an icing on the cake."
It was also learned that the subsidy ratio of the CDMA version of the iPhone 4S will exceed 60%. It is widely rumored in the industry that China Telecom invested about 2 billion yuan as marketing expenses for the iPhone 4S.
Telecom insiders frankly told Nandu that although telecom hopes to use star machines like the iPhone 4S to attract high-end users, the introduction timing determines that China Telecom cannot only rely on the iPhone after all, Unicom has already taken the first step.
Xsolaoyo: Telecom version of the iPhone 4S may be launched in March.
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Xsolaoyo: The multi-mode single standby of the telecom version of the iPhone 4S supports WCDMA and GSM abroad.
The latest data published by China Telecom shows that in 2011, there were more than 500 models of Tianyi 3G mobile phones on sale, reaching 34 million units throughout the year, of which the annual sales volume of 3G smart phones exceeded 16.6 million units, increasing more than ten times compared to 2010. Telecom estimates that by 2014, the scale of Tianyi users of China Telecom will exceed 200 million households, and the proportion of new 3G users in the market will be more than 70%.
Guangdong Telecom insiders told Nandu that when using the telecom version of the iPhone 4S locally, it will not support the WCDMA and GSM networks of Unicom and Mobile, that is, it cannot use the SIM cards of Unicom and Mobile. However, when roaming abroad, it will prioritize the selection of CDMA networks; if there is no CDMA network, it can automatically roam to WCDMA or GSM networks without changing numbers.
The website of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's Telecommunications Equipment Certification Center shows that the equipment model of the telecom iPhone 4S is A1387, the same as the US version. Guangdong Telecom insiders told Nandu reporters that the telecom version of the iPhone 4S is the "original flavor" of the US version of the iPhone 4S.
After the official release of the telecom version of the iPhone 4S, there will be two types of domestic goods in the domestic market: the telecom version and the Unicom version. Unlike the Unicom version that blocks the CDMA network, the telecom version of the iPhone 4S supports three network systems: CDMA, WCDMA, and GSM.
By the end of 2011, China Telecom had more than 129 million mobile service users. China Telecom set the development tone for 2012 as breaking through the scale, especially the scale of mobile users. Chairman Wang Xiaochu of China Telecom expected that in 2012, the total demand for CDMA terminals would be 80 million units, of which 45 million units would be smart phones.
Xsolaoyo: The subsidy ratio will exceed 60%, and telecom may invest 2 billion yuan to compete with Unicom.
Guangdong Telecom has clearly defined the composition of the iPhone 4S sales outlets: including self-owned business halls, socially authorized business halls, as well as channels such as Suning and Gome. Given that Suning and Gome have already started selling the Unicom version of the iPhone, telecom will face direct competition with Unicom in social channels.
China Telecom becomes the second domestic operator to partner with Apple. Telecom insiders revealed to Nandu that Apple will officially announce its cooperation with China Telecom next week, "this time point is led by Apple, and the formal launch time of the telecom version of the iPhone 4S may still have to wait until the first week of March, even though we are already eagerly awaiting."
"China's demand for the iPhone 4S exceeds our expectations," and mentioned that besides China Unicom, Apple will seek more partners, "continue to find ways to expand this market."
There are already multiple versions of the telecom version of the iPhone 4S tariff package circulating among the public. The leaked promotional flyer of the telecom version of the iPhone 4S shows that its contract total price is 5399 yuan. This package offers two-year and three-year plans, with the lowest package for two years being 49 yuan, and the lowest package for three years being 89 yuan, which is 481 yuan lower than the iPhone 4S package plan of China Unicom. Meanwhile, signing a three-year contract with the 389 yuan package allows you to get the 16GB version of the iPhone 4S for free.
Another message said that China Telecom provided three-tier packages of 389, 489, and 589 yuan for platinum card, gold card, and silver card users, and provided a 10x monthly rent terminal subsidy policy, meaning if a user subscribes to the 389 package, China Telecom will subsidize 3890 yuan for the purchase of the phone.
A person in charge of Guangdong Telecom disclosed that China Telecom's "Dragon Plan" began implementation at the end of last year. The first phase of Dragon Phones included six models such as Samsung I509 and Motorola XT882. The subsidy ratio for the first phase reached 42%, mainly in the form of package and bill subsidies; while the subsidy ratio for the telecom version of the iPhone 4S will exceed 60%.
"Due to the confidentiality agreement between China Telecom and Apple, the package price of the CDMA version of the iPhone 4S will not be announced until late this month," an insider within the telecom company told Nandu reporters. The CDMA version of the iPhone 4S belongs to the core model of the second phase of the "Dragon Plan". The "Dragon Plan" adopts strategies of "unified package", "unified subsidy", "unified presentation", and "unified publicity" nationwide, which means that the release and subsidy policies of the telecom version of the iPhone 4S are also unified nationwide, and provincial companies do not have the authority to formulate packages.
Apple CEO Tim Cook admitted during a telephone conference last month that the company underestimated the demand for the iPhone 4S in the Chinese market.