The iPhone 4 went on sale today in China, with large crowds gathering outside Apple Stores in Beijing and Shanghai. The only authorized carrier in the country, China Unicom, said they received 200,000 pre-orders before sales began, and the phone apparently did brisk business at China Unicom retail outlets and Suning Appliance stores throughout the People's Republic. China Unicom requires a contract, though, and the carrier-unlocked phones available at the four Apple Stores in China are proving popular.

Most Chinese mobile phone customers pay month-to-month, rather than signing a contract. In addition, many just want to keep their existing phone number; the Chinese market does not aoffer portability. In an online survey by portal 163.com, over 70 percent of the more than 7,000 people surveyed said they would rather buy an iPhone 4 from Apple instead of China Unicom.

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