Free iPhone 4S's To Be Offered By China Unicom

China Unicom, the second largest wireless provider in China and currently the only Chinese company carrying the iPhone, announced earlier this week that it will be offering free iPhone 4S's for customers willing to sign up for multiyear contracts.

A 32-gigabyte iPhone 4S on a three-year contract would cost around $45 per month, while a 16-gigabyte on a two-year contract would cost approximately $60, reports Bloomberg.

The deal is set to begin on January 13, the same day Apple had previously announced it would start selling the iPhone 4S in China, along with 21 other markets including Kenya, Bolivia, Botswana and the British Virgin Islands.

According to Alen Lin of BNP Paribas Securities, who spoke to Bloomberg, China Unicom had offered a $45 per month two-year plan for the iPhone 4, but had ended it when the company began losing money. The current offer is the same price but with a three-year commitment so that, according to Lin, China Unicom can have "one additional year to recover the expense."

However, Siri, a feature unique to the iPhone 4S, could mean more revenue for China Unicom than previous versions of the phone, though it depends on the company's data plans. A study conducted by telecom network technology firm Arieso found that iPhone 4S owners use twice the data as owners of the previous iPhone models. The researchers attribute this jump, at least in part, to Siri, the 4S's voice-activated personal assistant and search application. Siri, which responds to voice commands, makes it extremely easy to quickly find information on the internet. It could be this ease that is causing people to use their 4S's, even more than their iPads, for data consumption.

Yet Siri does not yet support Chinese. According to Engadget, Apple will be rolling out language upgrades in 2012.

While China Unicom is the only wireless provider currently offering the iPhone 4S, it may soon be joined by the third largest wireless carrier China Telecom, which could mean a lot more iPhones in China, notes 9to5Mac.

While China Mobile, the largest wireless carrier in China, does not officially offer the iPhone, according to Reuters it has 10 million iPhones on its network.

Related on HuffPost:

Comments

[jpisthebest]

01:17 AM on 01/10/2012

中国裸机售价￥4999，基本是一个普通中国工人两个月等工资

[waldopepper]

06:44 PM on 01/09/2012

What good is this to the average Chinese citizen when the Great Firewall of China is present to inhibit its use?

[ricchh]

03:21 PM on 01/09/2012

These countries cannot afford food, and they are actually buying iphones which are probably more than one years salary? Disgusting.

[MikeyJaii]

11:21 AM on 01/09/2012

Yes! And they shall track you and spy on you!

[ingua2]

07:37 AM on 01/09/2012

but slave workers at their factories are required to pay full price for refurbs.

[vijay balaji]

05:35 AM on 01/09/2012

$45 per month.... IT SUCKS!

[netzwerg]

05:34 AM on 01/09/2012

It's not "free", it costs you 45$ per month for 3 (!) years. That's 1620$ over 3 years.
The cost of the phone is included in this price.

Don't worry, both Apple and China Unicom will make money on that "free" iPhone". They are no charity organizations.

[Juicyhil]

03:50 AM on 01/09/2012

Not buying a iPhone is way cheaper.

[Pali Dumtur]

03:11 AM on 01/09/2012

In France it's 199€: http://www.virginmobile.fr/iphone.htm?xtor=SEC-208015--[606671]-[]-S-[] but you can choose a cheap plan and you don't have to take more than a one year contract (it's illegal in France to not offer a one year option).

[cadawa]

03:02 AM on 01/09/2012

Another iteration of how US consumers foot the bill for corporate profits and everyone (execpt the 1%) but us reap the rewards.
It's no accident Apple happened here and not in China. Our infrastructure and research and eductation system used to be unparalled (before the GOP gang rape).
Then after winning the capitalist lottery (much of it at public expense) they export manufacturing, customer service and charge US customers top dollar. Plus by buying politicians they have managed to shift their tax burden onto the backs of working Americans.
The drug companies work a variation on this theme. Most of their research is publicly funded as well their employees educated and charge their US customers the highest prices on the planet. US drug companies are some of the most profitable companies on the planet. They don't pay their fair share of taxes either.
There is nothing 'free' about the free market.

[cadawa]

03:14 PM on 01/13/2012

But their employees didn't. Without them, they'd be affluent kids without a business.

[Paul Dale]

01:57 AM on 01/09/2012

How about 50 cents on a ten year?

[soundping]

01:11 AM on 01/09/2012

Another HP Apple commercial.

[jflorish]

01:06 AM on 01/09/2012

I'm surprised more don't offer it free with longer term contracts.

[Evgeniy Lobov]

10:28 PM on 01/08/2012

I thought that 4s has already been withdrawn from treatment. But we lucky enough and i guess there are left something for us to get.

[tobo]

09:25 PM on 01/08/2012

45 x 36 = 1620 $ ???

Surely something's wrong with this article...

[hanspij]

12:01 AM on 01/09/2012

Didnt you forgot the free phone minutes use and text and the use from 32g a month? Its the same as most ppl pay in other countries.Its even cheaper.