Fortune summarizes a MorganStanley survey of 3G mobile phone users in China and discovers pent-up demand for iPhone. Lots and lots of pent up demand.
The survey, conducted among a sample of 2,029 Chinese mobile phone users in February and March, found demand for smartphones to be surprisingly strong. 88% of respondents said they expected the next phone they bought would be a smartphone. And 30% of those who planned to buy a 3G phone said they expected to buy an iPhone, even at its current price. If price were not a consideration, that number would jump to 53%, according to the survey.
Given the size of the market, the 3% or so of respondents who said they planned to buy a Blackberry is good news for the other company that controls both its hardware and software (no, I no longer count Nokia here). But that’s neither here nor there. What I find most interesting, however, is the chart that shows what features and functions survey respondents are most interested in.
Apple has made it known that they are very focused on growing their business in China. I suspect that what the Chinese want, they will get. Consider the recent iPhone ads. It’s all about:
- covetousness and branding (if you don’t have an iPhone, you don’t have an iPhone)
- screen (“retina display”)
- battery (“lithium polymer battery”)
We may or may not get a iPhone 5 this year. It may or may not have any appreciable design changes. I do think, however, that we will definitely have a far more robust iPhone experience and improved battery. Possibly, a better screen, though less likely.
I think the big “future of IOS” talk at this summer’s WWDC will, instead, touch on those issues of great concern to China’s future iPhone buyers. Think: iOS and its payback, over hardware and payload.
- Faster Internet
- Faster response
- Improved multitasking
- Longer lasting
I’m expecting a lot more Apple ads, particularly with lots of smiling Chinese faces. And in these ads, Apple will happily remind us that they are not special. Rather, you — with an iPhone — are special.
