Chinese consumers must not need self-esteem boosts, because they don’t seem interested in lining up overnight outside Apple (AAPL) stores for the launch of the iPhone 5. The Wall Street Journal reports that the iPhone 5’s launch in China has received a surprisingly muted response so far, as only two Apple fans had lined up outside Beijing’s flagship Apple store on Friday morning to buy the device. The Journal called the iPhone 5 launch “arguably the least eventful launch of an Apple device in the company’s four-year history in the Chinese capital” and speculated that frigid, snowy weather might have been partly to blame. Demand for Apple products in emerging markets has also subsided over the past year as consumers in China and Brazil have scooped up cheaper Android smartphones instead.
China gives the iPhone 5 a chilly reception
Published Dec 14th, 2012 8:35AM EST
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Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.
