Part 2 of our interview with iPhonAsia.com’s Dan Butterfield.
We continue with Part 2 of our extensive interview with iPhonAsia.com’s editor Dan Butterfield in talking about the iPhone and Apple in the Mainland China market. Part 1 is here.
According to a recent post on iPhonAsia.com, Wifi is going to be allowed on the iPhone in China. If this is true, what in your opinion is the real reason why it wasn’t allowed the first time?
There were several reasons why WiFi on mobile calling devices (phones) was initially banned in China, and it’s also fairly clear why a compromise has now been reached (WAPI/WiFi), although it’s still not definitive that Apple will go along with the compromise (but I’m betting they will) …
Carriers have been petrified over the proliferation of voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) applications now finding their way on to smartphones. WiFi + VoIP could eventually allow consumers to make their phone calls away from the carriers’ cellular networks. As VoIP calling grows, so too does carriers’ greatest fear … becoming “dumb pipes” – just antiquated cellular transmission networks (“pipes”) that consumers no longer use (“dumb”).
Another reason for the WiFi ban was China’s support for their competing standard – Wireless LAN authentication and privacy infrastructure (WAPI). Naturally China would prefer that consumers utilize the “indigenously innovated” (China built) WAPI versus WiFi (802.11).
Part 1 of our interview with iPhonAsia.com’s Dan Butterfield.
Its been almost 6 months since China officially launched the iPhone. So how’s it going?
We recently sat down for a fascinating and insightful chat with iPhonAsia.com editor Dan Butterfield, on the current market in China for the iPhone and Apple’s expansion into China – whcih includes an astounding 24 Apple Stores planned for 2010.
Dan’s background started in financial services for the telecom industry focusing on Asia, and has now dedicated his time to being an online evangelist promoting a company he not only loves but who is also a shareholder of (disclosure).
We covered a lot of ground so we’re going to break this interview into 2 installments, with part 2 being published tomorrow. So lets get into it:
We thought we were iPhanatics, but you have a whole blog talking about iPhone and specifically in China, Where/How/Who did iPhonAsia.com start?
iPhonAsia grew out of my ownership in Apple stock. I have always been enamored with Apple’s products, and believed in their mobile strategy and ability to execute. I built a core position in AAPL not long after the first iPod launched.
In late 2007 there was tremendous media speculation over iPhone in Asia and how/when Apple might enter China, Japan and Korea. There were also many press reports that omitted or miss-reported important facts about iPhone’s entry into China.
For example, journalists often did not understand the politics in China’s telecom industry and the dynamics of the tumultuous telecom industry restructuring that played out from 2007 to the present day. I often shared background information with fellow Apple shareholders and this was the genesis of iPhonAsia.com (launched in January 2008). My aim has been to dig a bit deeper and provide pertinent information to AAPL investors and Apple/iPhone fans. Instead of focusing on dry financials, I thought it would be more interesting for readers if I blogged on iPhone and mobile telecom in Asia.
Apple has announced pre-orders open up on March 12th for the Next Coming (also known as the iPad) and will be available to the public on April 3rd.
As history dictates, we in Hong Kong who are a mere 45-minutes away by car from the factories in Shenzhen that are making the iPad, will no doubt have to wait at least 2 weeks or more to see the WiFi version and perhaps longer for the 3G version.
In the meantime, we can only savor the new TV commercial…for now:
Check out the iPadawans.info blog for the latest iPad news.
A completely 3D rendered video takes a look at the 3 decades of Apple design. This video was made in 10 days by Transparent House and is something any gadget lover should have a look at.
Apple made a comment yesterday about being “nimble” in pricing of the iPad if the market demand for it isn’t as big as they think.
So, we thought we’d run a poll to see if this news would affect the way you buy an iPad, keeping in mind the big drop in price the first iPhone experienced on its launch (US$200 in short order, but gave early adopters $100 in store credit).
As iPadawans have noticed, there are 6 different versions of the iPad, there are 2 main choices: 3G and no-3G, and then with 3 different memory specs to suit every kind of user.
So now that some of the hype/backlash has died down a bit, please share with us your purchasing plans come this March/April 2010:
Come out and have some drinks with the iElite next Wednesday, February 10th at RED SoHo and hear about the latest iPhone apps and voice your eternal hatred of the iPad (or at least until it comes out, in which you may change your tune) at the February iPhanatics Hong Kong meet-up.
The meet-up is centered around iPhone and iPhone apps, but it seems its drawing all kinds of Apple fans in Hong Kong as people want to talk Macbooks, iWork, iLife, iTunes and of course the big buzz word this time will be: iPad.
The people from Powermat will be there to demo live their wireless recharging station that will soon be available in Hong Kong and offer some special promotions. iKit and Ultimate Mac and PC Gallery will also be there showing off their iPhone accessories.
Details for the event are below, RSVP via Facebook:
Loading ...
