iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus leaked images suggest minimal design changes. (Photo : Youtube)
Apple Inc. has listed China as one of the first-wave countries and regions for the release of the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus, the company's latest smartphone offerings, indicating an increased importance put by the company on the Chinese market, according to industry experts.
Zhao Yang, an analyst at CCID Consulting Co. Ltd., a Beijing-based consulting firm, said that the news is a sign that Apple has placed increasing strategic emphasis to China.
"First, with the global economic downturn, the purchase power of overseas consumers has dwindled significantly in recent years. Second, China's high-end smartphone market has become increasingly competitive, and Apple has to devote more effort to the Chinese market to avoid having its smartphones overtaken by brands such as Huawei," said Zhao.
Apple introduced the iPhone 6S in San Francisco during its annual launch event. The phone is available for pre-order starting Saturday and is scheduled to go on sale on Sept. 25 in mainland China, as well as nine other first-wave markets like the U.S., the U.K. and Australia.
During the launch of the iPhone 6 on Sept. 19, 2014, China was not among the first-wave markets.
The most important differences between the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 6, as well as their Plus counterparts, are in the hardware of the new smartphone, including a new feature called "3D Touch" that allows for a pressure-sensitive form of navigation, according to the Apple website.
Zhao said that overall, the new iPhone will not be that big a jump from its predecessor, so he does not expect it to cause a frenzy in China or in other countries.
International Data Corp., a U.S.-based market research firm, has similar predictions, stating in a report that they do not believe the iPhone 6S will have the same impact as the iPhone 6 on Apple's market share in China.
According to the report, China's market share grew from 7 to 12 percent during the last quarter of 2013, after the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were released.
In China, customers use agents, locally known as "daigou," to buy the latest Apple products such as the iPhone in the U.S. as early as possible. This is also done to save on taxes.
The price of the 16-gigabyte iPhone 6S is 5,288 yuan in the Chinese market, while only retailing for $649 in the United States, according to the Apple website.
Zhao said that with China among the first wave of countries, many Chinese consumers would prefer not to use a daigou, despite the price difference.
Some Chinese consumers have expressed that they prefer not to use a daigou, as the agents have a questionable reputation.
