2015年CRI iPhone 6S Meets Challenge from Other iPhones, Domestic Smart Phones in China

 

Just two days after Apple released its latest iPhone upgrade, the iPhone 6S, reporters in Shanghai did a straw poll survey of locals around the city to gauge¹ the reaction.

While certainly not scientific, the lack of enthusiasm is quite evident.

"Apple's strategy is to have very few updates in its new models from the previous ones. So for me as a long-time Apple user, I don't think I need to buy the new one because there's not much difference."

"I think there are fewer and fewer innovations in the iPhone. At least nothing which surprises me. On the other hand, a lot of domestic phones are becoming quite good, and sell at reasonable prices. Why should I give all my money to the foreigners?"

Mobile industry analysts² note it's been Apple's strategy to roll out a dramatically upgraded new mobile product every two years, and to promote a minor³ upgrade to their latest device in the interim⁴.

But some are suggesting the ability to upgrade the technology may have hit a bottle-neck.

Wang Yang is the director of IHS Technology.

"Electronic products, including mobile phones, have reached a phase where it takes longer to innovate⁵; most of the upgrades are only small ones. It's just like the PC industry. Once the product becomes more mature, there will be less and less room for hardware innovation."

Other Apple products, however, do remain quite popular in the Shanghai market.

Many mobile retailers⁶ in Shanghai cut their prices for the iPhone6 and the 5S by as much as 20-percent as soon as iPhone6S was released.

Sales for these products immediately increased.

Zhu Xiang, director of Yolo Home Appliances in Shanghai, the strategy has worked fairly well.

"This morning we sold around 20 to 30 units, and we estimate it will reach 70 to 80 by the evening. That's triple our usual sales."

Apple launches its new products every September.

This makes the third quarter a hot season for other tech brands to try to beat them to the punch.

Almost a dozen domestic phone makers⁷, including Coolpad, Huawei and Smartisan have launched or are planning launches for their new phones.

Wang Yang from IHS says most of these phones are popular among those who want to have a second or third mobile phone.

"iPhones only have a single SIM card slot, but many people, especially in business, tend to have several SIM cards for different uses. So what we've seen is more and more people are buying an iPhone, and then also buying a quality smartphone that sells for around a thousand yuan. This is an area where domestic phone makers can make headway."

While the iPhone6S may not surpass its previous generations' popularity in China, the country is still one of Apple's biggest markets.

Industry observers are suggesting China could wind up with around 30-percent of all iPhone6S orders around the world in the first 24 hours after the launch of the new iPhone.

For CRI, I'm Luo Bin⁸.

1 gauge   

v.精确计量；估计；n.标准度量；计量器

参考例句：

• Can you gauge what her reaction is likely to be?你能揣测她的反应可能是什么吗？
• It's difficult to gauge one's character.要判断一个人的品格是很困难的。

2 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

3 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

4 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

5 innovate   

v.革新，变革，创始

参考例句：

• We must innovate in order to make progress.我们必须改革以便取得进步。
• It is necessary to innovate and develop military theories.创新和发展军事理论是必要的。

6 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

7 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。