Google, Apple OS Rivalry Intensifies 苹果与谷歌在华智能手机战白热化

By newsdoug on January 16, 2012

Large crowds make trouble for latest iPhone launch The intense rivalry between Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) and Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) is heating up in China, with the former hosting a somewhat unruly launch of its latest iPhone 4S in Beijing and Shanghai as the latter prepares to launch an app store for competing smartphones using its Android operating system. Apple made headlines in China over the weekend after scuffles broke out at some of its stores when the iPhone 4S formally went on sale the day before under service contracts with China Unicom (HKEx: 762; NYSE: CHU), China’s second biggest mobile carrier and Apple’s only iPhone partner in China so far. The biggest scuffle occurred when one Beijing store decide not to open due to safety concerns after large crowds lined up overnight to buy the phones as soon as they went on sale. (English article) Such news certainly isn’t great publicity for Apple and could provide some negative impact in the short term. But it also shows just how popular Apple products are in China, since the launch was still able to generate that much buzz even though the 4S was already available on the gray market following its US launch 3 months ago. That fact bodes well for China Telecom (HKEx: 728), China’s smallest mobile carrier, which is also reportedly near its own deal to offer the iPhone 4S on its 3G network and could hold launch the model as soon as next month. (previous post) Meantime, Chinese media are reporting that Google is preparing to launch a mainland Chinese version of its app store for Android phones, which would come just 2 months after Apple made a similar move by starting to accept payments in local currency, the renminbi, for its own China app store. (English article) Of course all this just shows the war between Apple and Google in the smartphone space will only intensify in the Year of the Dragon, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the former sue the latter in China later this year as part of its global strategy of fighting Android through litigation.

Bottom line: The smartphone war between Apple and Google is heating up in China with new products from both, and could see Apple launch China-based lawsuits targeting Google’s Android later this year.

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