25% of Chinese smartphone users to buy iPhone 6S or 6S Plus

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25% of Chinese smartphone users to buy iPhone 6S or 6S Plus: survey

Staff Reporter 2015-09-19 15:31

Apple senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Phil Schiller, introduces the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus at a press conference in San Francisco, Sept. 9. (Photo/Xinhua)

A recent survey by Sina Tech News shows that nearly 25% of 90,000 Chinese smartphone users surveyed will buy the latest iPhone 6S or 6S Plus when it comes out, Chinese-language Beijing Business Today reports.

A smartphone user surnamed Liu said the features of the new iPhone 6S and 6S Plus were disappointing. The 3D Touch feature is more suitable for the iPad Pro and not practical for most users.

Apple's market share in the Chinese smartphone market is under 20%, yet 80% of the company's profits come from the Chinese market. Chinese smartphone manufacturers previously focused on the low to mid-end sector, due to a lack of core technologies in smartphone operating systems and key components such as processors, screens, cameras and flash memories, said telecom analyst Liu Qicheng.

As the Chinese smartphone market becomes saturated, local manufacturers have been catching up in the mid to high-end market sector with new technologies, features and competitive prices, said Liu. Since August, Qiku, a joint venture formed by internet security service provider Qihoo 360 and smartphone maker Coolpad, has rolled out a new phone called the Q Terra, for 3,599 yuan (US$566) and both LeTV's 5,888 yuan (US$926) Max and the 4,199 yuan (US$660) Mate S from Huawei have also appeared on the market.

The competition in the high-end smartphone market is only going to get more intense because it brings higher profits to smartphone companies as well as brand recognition and the ability to gain higher price premiums, said Hung Shibin, senior associate of the Internet Society of China (ISC).