Apple Chinese App Store opened

Apple have opened a new online store with cut down App Store for their customers in China. A move which is sure to help expansion after years of lower focus on this marketplace.

Chinese customers can now order Apple hardware such as the iPad online and have them delivered directly to their door. Before this change people had to order on Apples Chinese Website and then pick them up at one of Apple's four Chinese Apple stores in Shanghai and Beijing.

iPads are already shipping and iPhones will be following shortly a few weeks later. Apple have finally put some resources into targeting this lucrative market, especially as one of their competitors HTC Corp are opening stores in this region.

Apple's new chinese expansion is not stopping here however as they also plan on opening 25 more Apple Stores in the country by 2011. In terms of development time this is incredibly fast.

It makes sense for Apple long term, especially as China spend billions of US dollars every year online. With Apple only holding 7.1% of Chinas smartphone market, we suspect this will double in the space of a year.

Due to infrastructure issues in certain parts of the country, shipments may take longer, Apple say one or two extra business days in extreme cases. The store will accept credit and debit cards as well as bank transfers and cash deposits.

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