Analysts expect users to upgrade their tablets an average of once every three years - far less than smartphones. Photo / AP
Analysts expect users to upgrade their tablets an average of once every three years - far less than smartphones. Photo / AP
Apple is said to be eyeing further inroads into the Chinese market with the introduction of a "rose gold" iPhone, according to reports.
The company's next smartphone - largely believed to be called the iPhone 6s - could be announced as soon as September, replacing the iPhone 6 and 6Plus models.
According to Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities, Apple is looking to add a rose gold hue to its handset repertoire, which currently come in silver, space grey and gold.
The addition of gold-coloured iPhones in 2013 with the launch of the iPhone 5s was seen as a direct appeal to China, where gold is regarded as auspicious.
It is unknown whether the new model would be rose gold-coloured anodised aluminium, like the current iPhone 6 and 6 Plus gold option, or 18-carat rose gold like the luxury Apple Watch Edition, which is priced from pounds 8,000 to pounds 13,500. The Apple Watch Edition, which is also available in 18-carat yellow gold, reportedly sold out in China less than an hour after the company started taking pre-orders for the devices at the end of April.
The gold iPhone 5s sold out in Hong Kong and mainland China immediately in 2013. Photo / Getty
Increasing demand for luxury products - combined with greater iPhone availability following a multi-year deal with the world's biggest phone carrier, China Mobile - mean China is an increasingly lucrative market for Apple. The Californian company now holds around 27.6 per cent of the smartphone market in urban China, according to Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.
The gold 5s sold out in Hong Kong and mainland China immediately, and demand remains so strong for the 6 and 6 Plus seven months after they first went on sale that smugglers continue to sell them for dramatically inflated prices.
The company also produced gold versions of the iPad Air 2 and mini 3 last year, and recently launched a new 12-inch MacBook, also in gold.
Samsung has also experienced unprecedented demand for gold versions of its latest handset, the Galaxy S6, across Europe, as one in four customers opted for gold over the traditionally more popular black and white.
Kuo also claims the iPhone 6s will be a significant upgrade to its predecessors, offering a 12MP camera, up from the current 8MP lens, and 2GB of RAM up from 1GB. It could also feature a more resilient scratch-resistant sapphire lens cover, and be constructed from slightly different materials to move away from the bending issue which plagued the previous flagships.
