Lenovo "Lucky Steve Jobs Doesn't Care About China"

[Paul Daniel Ash]

The chairman of China's #1 PC maker Lenovo taunted Steve Jobs over the weekend, saying he is missing a big opportunity in China due to his "bad temper." Lenovo’s founder and chairman Chuanzhi Liu told the Financial Times Sunday that his company's Android-powered "LePhone" would be competitive with the iPhone because it had more Chinese content available for it.

The iPhone remains in high demand in China, largely because supply is constrained by the official provider China Unicom, which sells the device at a price that is well out of the reach of average Chinese consumers and with WiFi disabled. Unlocked phones are still available on the grey market for much less, but these phones don't work with China's official WAPI wireless standard.

Chairman Liu said that Lenovo has recovered well from the financial crisis, with a 30 percent market share in China, which is the fastest growing market in the world and is projected to be the world's largest by the end of the year. Liu said Apple was missing out in China, telling the Financial Times that his company is "lucky that Steve Jobs has such a bad temper and doesn’t care about China," saying that if "Apple were to spend the same effort on the Chinese consumer as we do, we would be in trouble.” This was largely considered braggadocio rather than a suggestion that Apple would be able to seriously challenge Lenovo in its home market, where PCs and phones are available for a tiny fraction of Apple's prices.

Nevertheless, Apple is attempting to make inroads into China, with the newest Apple Store slated to open Saturday at the base of China's largest skyscraper, the glittering World Financial Center in Shanghai. The company reportedly plans to have 25 Apple Stores in China by the end of this year.

Apple's GSM-only iPhone continues to be a hindrance in China as in other markets, and as in the US, rumors persist in China about a CDMA variant of the device. Michael Essany covered reports last week of talks between Apple and China Mobile to bring the iPhone to the mainland's largest carrier.

[CaptainChaos]

The Appstore will change the limitations that might have crippled the iPhone. The price though will be the determining factor.

[Chrisscool]

hmmm, well if China ever does get a CDMA iPhone, i might order one there and have my friend ship it 2 me =D

[santacruzlocal]

Verizon would be PISSED if they launched a CDMA iPhone in China before they launched it here.

I think it would be funny seeing my Verizon friends toting around an iPhone with no English keyboard support (If they didn't have it) and knowing Steve Jobs he would do that just so State Side Verizon users couldn't have the phone until it was launched here.

[CaptainChaos]

Verizon is already pissed. At themselves. For rejecting the iPhone when Apple approached them with it before they offered it to AT&T. Serves them right

[ecd5000]

if they make a cdma phone for china chances are verizon is getting it also. why wouldnt they? AT$T contract is up soon, probably around the same time this might happen. i just like the picture of steve, what the hell is he doing!

[eremeya]

The background for that pic. is East Nanjing rd. in Shanghai, China just off of People's Square...

[tudtran]

Screw the Chinese government. They always screw thing up for everybody

[igarys]

That Government brought poverty rates from 40% to almost less than 10%. And your phone was made in China BTW.

[vinaygoel2000]

Assembled in china.

[Markanthony3211]

WTH is Steve doing in that picture? lol

[Antman217]

Where is that picture of steve from its hilarious

[tudtran]

Steve Jobs look like he try to find his balls

[whereswaldo]

I don't get the pic

[Arisian]

I've used an iphone in China on 3g for the last two years with every single feature enabled.

Im confused by the claim that it's missing some sort of standard if it is purchased on the black market.

[awesomeSlayer]

^That's if you buy the iPhone in China.

Ugh...China...Corrupted government.

[nickxab]

Lenovo’s founder and chairman Chuanzhi Liu told the Financial Times Sunday that his company's Android-powered "LePhone" would be competitive with the iPhone because it had more Chinese content available for it.

Pffff

[Radovich]

I have got a news that lenovo want to compete with apple's iphone 4 in China, but they can not provide their potential consumers with an "itunes" for their limited ability, also they eager to provide third-party software company with an platform to creat apps to lenovo, doubtfully, like ifunia to apple. So, I’m nerves for them.

[igarys]

^That's if you buy the iPhone in China.

Ugh...China...Corrupted government.

All Governments are corrupts