Edible Apple

After getting off to a lackluster start, sales of the iPhone via China Unicom seem to be picking up steam. China Unicom is China’s second largest mobile carrier behind China Mobile and when it began selling the iPhone in early November, the expectations were high. But after first week sales clocked in at a paltry 5,000 units, people were left scratching their heads. One school of thought was that Apple grossly miscalculated the Chinese market, and didn’t take into account the local nuances before delving into the market. Also a factor was the simple fact that bootleg and counterfeit iPhones were already prevalent in China by the time Apple established an official presence in the country.

But in a surprising turn of events, iPhone Asia is now reporting via TechQQ that China Unicom is on pace to sell 300,000 units by the end of December. Factoring into the iPhone resurgence has been a major iPhone advertising campaign encompassing billboard, print, television ads along with a nationwide iPhone roadshow geared towards informing prospective iPhone consumers about the benefits of the device and the breadth of apps available. The roadshow hit most of the major cities in China and let users experiment with the device while also showcasing interactive iPhone demos. While the idea of an iPhone roadshow may seem a bit unusual here in the US, it’s apparently been quite effective in China where many people have heard of the iPhone by name but aren’t entirely aware of the device’s capabilities. Indeed, many consumers interviewed at the roadshow expressed “shock” at how many features and functions Apple was able to cram into a single device.

Below, check out an iPhone commercial that recently aired in China.