Apple iPhone released in China at high price tag

Apple iPhone released in China at high price tag

The iPhone goes on sale in China today but anyone that wants one will have to pay a hefty price.A 32GB iPhone 3GS will ship at $1,024, courtesy of China Unicom, but without any kind of service plan.The Wall Street Journal reports that with a two year service plan the bund;e will cost $3,120, more than $500 more than a similar package in the USA.The price tag is likely to make the iPhone popular only with the super rich - there are many smartphones available in China which cost considerably less.The WSJ says that the average amount spent on a smartphone in China is $350, with 11 million smartphones sold in 2008.The iPhone in China ships without wi-fi because the Chinese government wants to push a competing standard. But it is expected to be offered with standard wi-fi later this year. China eased the ban in May but the first machines had, apparently, already been built.