Thursday, March 18, 2010

What is Apple up to in China?

What is Apple up to in China?, article.

Apple will open 25 stores in China.
From the article:

But why would the iPad be a success in China? Well,
  • Premium UI, multi-touch, battery tech = Hard to knock off.
  • Made in China = National pride.
  • 499 USD = Affordable to a middle class that is still a minority but huge in absolute numbers.
  • Long, crowded commutes = A compelling real-use case and an opportunity to show off.
  • iPhone OS = Best-in-class Chinese language support right out of the box. Far superior to any home-grown device — seriously.
  • iTunes = All those pirated mp3s and movies will work just fine on the iPad. (Don’t expect the Chinese to pay real money for their music or movies — ever. Sorry.)
  • App store = It’s just a matter of time before a third-party Chinese-language ebook app sells cheap literature.

Can you say "big potential market"!?

And in the broader view, mobile computing and phones are taking off very, very fast in the East and the third world, because many huge areas simply don't have any telephone lines! And now will never need them.