400,000 Unlocked iPhones Running On China Mobile

Beijing (dbTechno) - According to market research, there were 400,000 unlocked Apple iPhones running on the China Mobile cellular network at the end of 2007, with that number now likely much higher.

Apple has sold an amazing amount of iPhones in 2007, with sales of over 3.7 million.

Market research firm In-Stat has come out and stated that more than 10 percent of those phones are in China. The firm stated that there are over 400,000 unlocked iPhones running in China.

Many have been wondering why there was such a big gap between the number of Apple iPhones sold in 2007, and the number actually activated through their carrier partners in the U.S. and Europe.

It was reported about a month ago that there were over 1 million iPhones unlocked and working on other networks around the world. This data has shown that the iPhone is already pretty prevalent in China.

In-Stat has shown that there are many consumers in China who do want the iPhone. They stated that 20% of smartphones in China in 2007 sold for over $533, meaning that consumers in China are not afraid to put out big money for smartphones with capabilities similar to the iPhone.

Apple was originally in talks with China Mobile, but the talks have gone quiet. The iPhone will make it to Asia in 2008, but it is not known when exactly.

One thing is clear though, the iPhone is already running strong in China, whether Apple has officially brought it there or not.