I Phone Review

It's hard to believe that only a year after the iPhone app store opened its doors on the web that nearly 60,000 iPhone apps have been created. Some serve important purposes. Others aren't worth the battery juice they'll sap.

Here are a few iPhone apps worth noting. Try a few on for size and see how they fit.

1. Hey Where Are You? While nobody likes to have everyone knowing what they're doing all times, this iPhone app helps you get connected to important people like family and friends to let them know what you are doing. Asking and answering the question, "Hey, where are you?" users can keep each other up to date on their comings and goings. It's a lot easier to get the crowd out to happy hour if they know you are already there? Like many of the iPhone apps available, this one helps you stay connected.

2. Print and Share. Most printing intents end up as pipe dreams. Sure, I'll get you that photo of us at the beach, as soon as I get home, power up the computer, find the photo in billions of computer files, hit print and then actually remember to do all that instead of falling asleep watching Leave It to Beaver reruns like I always do. The best intentions usually end up shelved unless we act right away. With the Print and Share, your iPhone is connected right to your printer. Have it start printing before you even get home. It takes a few steps out of the procrastination process, delivering results even before you make it back to your pad. It's one of the better iPhone apps available.

3. Read it later. Usually, we find the most interesting material on the web when we least have time to read it. That's why the Internet can be such a great source of time suckage as we find stuff we need to learn but always at the wrong time. Like many iPhone apps that make information easier, Read it Later allows you to save these web pages in your phone for further browsing. Don't have time to read about tips for a bigger tax return during the middle of a big deadline? Read it Later allows you to save pages to your iPhone so you can read it at more convenient times, while you're waiting for your hair care appointment or stuck at the DMV with nothing to do.

Real software development for the iPhone might lag behind, but iPhone apps come to the rescue. With over 50,000 iPhone apps being developed every month, it's impossible to keep up on them all. Some will streamline your life, and you'll wonder how you ever got by without them. Others will leave you wondering why anyone even bothered. Here are a few iPhone apps that are worth their hype.

Pageonce Personal Assistant - Have difficulty keeping up on all your accounts? Need to check stats and finances far away from your desktop? This iPhone app keeps all your account information on the same page. You get absolute access to all your online accounts, from investments to banking to your frequent flyer miles. Instead of juggling a dozen or so sites, the Pageonce Personal Assistant does it all with one application for easy convenience.

Fring - Really, once you've got this app, you'll never need an IM tool again. This app includes Google Talk, Yahoo, Skype, MSN, Twitter, ICQ, plus VoIP calls over Wi-Fi if your minutes are low while you are spending the afternoon in a bar or coffee shop. While many iPhone apps are devoted to a particular site, this one streamlines them all into one universally.

Routesy - You can't live in the big city without this baby in your pocket. It's a great way to keep up on train and bus schedules, as well as tell you what to take to get where you need to be. It works even better than the computer, simple and quick. Get the information you need with this smart but efficient iPhone app.

VNC Lite - Want to turn your cell phone into your computer? VNC Lite allows you to view and fully control your computer from your cell phone, providing you are on the same network. If you thought that laptops as thin as children's storybook was as it could get, this beauty puts your desktop in the palm of your hand to make it even better. Some iPhone apps let you connect to your computer. This app practically is your computer.

Bloom - Take Brian Eno's generative ambient music and recreate the experience, and what do you have? Bloom. You drop your fingers on the pastel screen to make simple loops and create your own music, perfect for dancing fingers. This is one of the few iPhone apps that have been created that lets you get creative too.

Free iPhones for you and your family? Sounds too good to be true doesn't it? The latest craze sweeping the internet is affiliate marketing, and it's building up quite a head of steam. There are of course sceptics, but those who have been getting involved seem to be happy enough, and the affiliate sites themselves seem to be growing in number. They promise iPods, iPhones, digital cameras and PS3s to 'members' who sign up for a trial promotion, and get others to do the same. Are these sites for real, are they a scam and how can they afford to give stuff away for nothing? Read on and I'll explain.

What is affiliate marketing and how does it work?

Affiliate marketing is a means of incentivising referrals to websites, a way to get people to get other people to sign up to trials. It might be an ad (like google adwords), or a promotional link banner through your website. It's a bit like a sales commission for doing work on their behalf. If you put a link to another website on your website and someone clicks through it and then signs up to that product or service, you will get paid a commission for bringing in customers. Normally, this is a fairly small amount, but in some cases the stakes are much higher

How can they afford to give away iPhones, PS3s and digital cameras?

It's easy to understand when you study it a bit. To claim your 'free' gift, you need to join up to a site such as kudosnetwork or freebiejeebies (for UK, USA and Canada) and sign up to a promotion such as an online film rental trial. Once you've done this, you select a gift that you want which will have been attributed a certain number of referrals. The higher the number of referrals the higher the value of the gift. Say you needed 18 referrals for your gift, you would need to get 18 people to sign up via your link. By the time your 18 friends have managed to get 18 more friends to sign up, the site has 324 customers, by the next 18, that number has risen to 5832. In a very short period of time, the numbers stack up very quickly, making a lot of money in commission for the site owner.

Advertising is not cheap, and when the consumer is paid instead of the advertising company, it adds up to quite a lot of nice free 'stuff'. Of course they say 'free', but there is time involved although little or not money leaves the hands of the savvy. Hence the appeals to youngsters (who tend to have lots of the former and rather less of the latter).

What's in it for the site owner?

Considerable amounts of money, of course. He needs you, however, to make the wheels turn - the reason he comes up with salivating prizes to get you off your bum selling on his behalf. You are charged with the job of working out which of your friends would be interested in such a scheme, and more importantly which of your friends wouldn't, and you keep pushing to reach your goal like a salesman after his bonus (iPhone). Meanwhile Mr. Site Owner sits there taking a commission for every sale her gets, and passes on a residual to you in the form of your gift. His marketing is clever, and as you can see, he is doing very well out of it.

But if everyone completed their referrals, would the site lose money?

It is possible that if everyone suddenly did complete all their referrals, that the site might temporarily be out of pocket, but they would raise the amount of referrals required to ensure that they are always making a profit. As you come at the bottom of the chain, you are the last to get paid, so to speak, so know that the sites always have cash, and that's how they honour their contract with you, and give you your iPhone. Also remember, it pays for them to keep their reputation sweet amongst their agents (you guys), as without you and your clever efforts, they are nothing. Can they really afford to go around making promises they can't keep? Not for long, and these sites are alive and well and have been for some time, so it appears they've got the balance right.

What about the advertisers?

It is possible that if everyone suddenly did complete all their referrals, that the site might temporarily be out of pocket, but they would raise the amount of referrals required to ensure that they are always making a profit. As you come at the bottom of the chain, you are the last to get paid, so to speak, so know that the sites always have cash, and that's how they honour their contract with you, and give you your iPhone. Also remember, it pays for them to keep their reputation sweet amongst their agents (you guys), as without you and your clever efforts, they are nothing. Can they really afford to go around making promises they can't keep? Not for long, and these sites are alive and well and have been for some time, so it appears they've got the balance right.

So, is affiliate marketing worth getting involved in?

Yes, absolutely, categorically, and for all parties involved. Is it free? Not completely, but if you are wily, it won't cost you a penny, just some time and some clever thinking. Find a list of people want a new iPhone themselves, and get them signed up ASAP.

Examples of two UK based affiliate marketing sites for you to check out are: kudos network and freebiejeebies. Click on the links below to visit the sites. And Good Luck!

Will your phone read you 18th century love poetry as you go to bed at night? With the right choice of iPhone apps, it's possible. Iphone technology achieves the impossible every day, from streaming your entire CD collection to finding the lowest hotel rates in Brazil, all in the palm of your hand.

The fact is that the iPhone is capable of so much that even hard core techies will admit that not all of it is worth doing. Some iPhone apps aren't worth the time to bother, while others dramatically improve your life. The following iPhone apps, however, are worth the rave.

Yelp- Lost in the city and can't find a good bar or restaurant? Give it your best Yelp. This iPhone app will help you find nearby bars, restaurants and banks, though you might not want to hit them in that order. You get the location, directions, and even more. Yelp will offers thousands of reviews from regular Joe users, not just the New York Times. You can also try Urban Spoon, which offers similar services to find eateries.

NYTimes- Speaking of the New York Times, the paper that sets the curve in journalism makes its voluminous editions easy to stream using the iPhone. You can find stories by the section of each day, or view the most popular stories to find out what New Yorkers are gabbing about. The text is surprisingly easy to read on screen, backed by full-color photos. It's a unique application. Almost no other iPhone apps stream entire media publications to your phone.

Stanza - Stuck waiting for a train without a book? The Stanza puts every classic novel in the palm of your hand, as well as any book you can find in their large array of public domain files. You can even add lengthy Word of PDF files and edit your term paper on the train. This is one of those iPhone apps that appeal to a wide range of age groups and careers, from college students to federal attorneys. Don't expect to find Healthcliff's Just for Laughs in their public domain, however, if you can't get your reading tastes out of the third grade.

Jott - Does the iPhone's digital keyboard cramp your mind? Jott can transfer any voice mail into a text to save you the trouble of typing. Ideal for text messaging, Jott keeps all that button pushing from driving you insane.

For people that are tired of listening to the radio or constantly using cds, many choose to use their ipods in their cars. It can be a great way to listen to the music you want to. But if you want to do this, you need to find an ipod car adapter. There are a lot of different types and they can be used in different media docks, so you have to pay attention to what you are purchasing and read the boxes thoroughly.

There are various ways that you can get your ipod to play music in your car. The easiest way, if you don't mind spending some money, is to just purchase the ipod car adapter that has been specifically created for installation into the car. This is the most convenient option if you are looking for an adapter for your own car. You can find them on plenty of popular shopping sites and also at the electronics store, allowing you to compare brands and prices.

But if you are looking for an adapter for a car you don't own, perhaps consider some other options. If you want something that you can use in other cars or for stereos at another point, consider a radio adapter. They have a decent price and they are easy to work with. However, if you are in an area where you do not have decent radio reception, you are not going to have the best sound quality available.

Do you have a cassette tape player in your vehicle? Try a tape adapter instead. You can make use of the rewind and fast forward buttons for skipping songs in this case. This can be a useful option, which you wouldn't have if you used the radio adapter. The other great part is that you will not have any sound issues like you would with a radio adapter.

If you have a CD player, you have an option similar to what is available with the tape adapter. However, for this, you would have to remove your stereo and plug your ipod in with RCA adapters into the port found in the back of the stereo. Two sides are in RCA jacks in the stereo and one side is in your ipod in this scenario. In addition, RCA adapters for ipods are usually really cheap.

Regardless of what you pick, you should consider whether or not it will work properly with the type of car that you have. Most adapters will list if they are universal or compatible or not. Also consider the other uses of the ipod car adapter that you may be purchasing.

In the past, if you had an ipod car adapter, it was mainly only to play your music in your car. However with new technology and other options, you can also charge your ipod from many of the same adapters while you are driving and listening to your ipod on the road. Sometimes these type of adapters can cost more, but they are worth it for people that are concerned their ipod might run out of battery life during long times on the road, or people that just want their ipod constantly charged. Consider all of the options available and try to pick what will give you the best sound quality for a decent price.

A common looking item these days is the iPod. These media players are a popular device. They are completely portable. An exciting option available to vehicle owners is the car connection in which the iPod can be played over the vehicles speakers. Many people agree that radio commercials and advertisements are boring, long winded and irritating. Many people say there are too much talk and not enough music on the radio. The iPod car connection can give the driver the freedom to listen to whatever music they would prefer to listen to while they are driving.

A connection between the car's sound system and the iPod is a car connection. As stated earlier, the driver can listen to the iPod's music library over the car's speakers. There are different types of car connections. Some have better sound quality than others. The different types of connections also come with different prices as well as different sound quality.

A highly recommended approach to the car connection is the iPod smart cable connection. This connection is basically a box connected into the compact disk changer jack. A message is transmitted to the radio and the iPod. Models vary and some have an LCD display that can be put on the dash or in the glove box.

This system is expensive but does not require professional installation. It produces an excellent sound quality. It costs typically over one hundred dollars and sometimes can cost over two hundred dollars. A vehicle owner needs to determine what they are willing to pay or can afford with regards to an iPod cable connection.

Another way to make a car connection is through an antenna direct connection to a FM modulator. The vehicles' antenna fits into the rear of the modulator and the plug from that fits into the rear of the radio. These connections cut the signal. Sound quality is better and getting a professional to install this is a good idea. It typically will cost between thirty and seventy five dollars.

A cassette adapter is an inexpensive way to make a car connection to the iPod. The tape is put into the cassette player in the vehicle. A wire is on the tape and the end is placed in the iPod jack. This system costs between ten and twenty dollars. This adapter will only work with vehicles that have cassette players. Many newer models do not have the players.

There are many types of iPod car connections. These connections can range in price from ten dollars to well over two hundred dollars. Many of these cheaper connections will result in poor sound quality. At least the vehicle driver can listen to the music they love on their iPod but through the vehicle's speakers. The top rated connection is the iPod smart cable connection. A vehicle owner who is interested in listening to their iPod in their vehicle should research the topic. Decide which type of option is best for the vehicle and proceed to get the best car connection they can. It is good to know that there are many options available to the vehicle owner.

Every year there's always a good range of electronics available and this year is no different. However, as we approach Christmas it's the time of year when everyone wants the best deals. The new iPod nano is probably one of the best deals available and because it's available from a wide range of online and offline stores, you can pretty much guarantee that you will get a good deal.

There are probably well over 100 large online stores that stock the new iPod and this is because it's one of the most popular gadgets available right now. It works for both adults and children and is simply one of the best music players there is. However, if you want to get a good deal you'll have to do a lot of price comparison.

There are lots of options to choose from and you may find it difficult to make up your mind. Well, if that's the case then you should read on to learn how to choose the right products for your needs. You will also need to set yourself a budget so that you don't overspend.

A lot of companies offer iPod accessories along with the iPod in a sort of package deal. This will cost more but it could be better value for money - and iPod accessories are great stocking fillers. Before you go shopping, it's a good idea to learn a little more about the iPod and what features are available.

The latest iPod nano is available with 8GB or 16GB of space and it also has a camera so that you can take photos and upload them to your computer or keep them with you on your iPod. There are a lot of features on the new ones and they're great as gifts because they are something that will last a long time.

When you go shopping for an iPod, just be sure that you set a budget and work out where all the good deals are. You'll need to do some price comparison before you buy anything and just make sure that you're aware of all the major stores that stock them so you can get yourself a good deal.

iPod say the name and mostly everyone knows what you are talking about. An iPod is a combination of a portable digital media player and a hard drive created by Apple Computer. The original iPod was the size of a deck of cards. Now the different types have different types of screens and they are different sizes. There are iPod updates that can be completed periodically so the user has the latest software from Apple.

There are four different models of iPods. There are the iPod Classic, iPod Nano, iPod Shuffle and the latest, iPod Touch. They all offer music listening abilities. However only a few models of iPod offer video viewing capabilities. One of the units can hold up to forty thousand songs in its music library. For a fee, a user can download music at the iTunes store.

Occasionally there are iPod updates provided by Apple for the systems. Some of the updates are free and some have a charge. Updates obtain new software from Apple which in turn allows the system to operate for the user better.

For instance, the iPod Touch is offered an update for about five dollars. This update offers the user many different features such as shake and shuffle. The user would give the unit a gentle shake and the unit will shuffle the songs to something else in the library. Another feature that would be added is the automatic hook up to wireless internet service.

One of the other features of the update is the ability to install parental controls on the unit. A parent can monitor what their child is viewing on the internet and block things they do not want them viewing. There are many more applications that the unit will be able to do.

Apple offers periodic updates for the iPod systems. The owner can hook the iPod to the computer and open the iTunes store. The iTunes store will automatically search for updates for the user's iPod. It will suggest updates as needed.

iPods are one thing most people have. There are many different types of iPods. They can just play music, play music and videos or do many other things such as have the ability to use the internet. Occasionally these iPods will need software updates. These updates allow the unit to obtain new information from Apple that will only enhance the users experience.

In our modern world, mobile phones have become an essential accessory. They are now a major part of everyone's life. Especially those people who have busy lives, or love gadgets.

How many mobile phones have you possessed that were knocked, scratched and dropped? A mobile phone screen protector is an often overlooked, but very useful, accessory. Take good care of them, protect them from wear and tear, and your mobile phone will continue to look good, work well, and keep it's value.

Screen protector mainly protects the screen of your mobile phone. The name says it all. A screen protector is made of clear plastic with an adhesive on the back which sticks on the screen of the mobile phone.

Some mobile phones appear to have a screen protector when bought. But these are often just packaging material. The screen image is degraded through it, and it will come off after a short time. If your mobile phone is a touch-screen or requires a stylus, you will find that you need to remove this to operate it effectively.

For those people who have purchased a more sophisticated device, such as an iPhone, Pocket PC or Smart Phone, the screen is more prone to scratches. A tap or run from a fingernail or stylus can often leave a scratch which cannot be removed. A good durable screen protector will stop your device from such problems, whilst also delivering a clear image.

Aside from scratches, mobile phones also collect dust, grease and fingerprints. It seems easy enough to wipe it clean with a short sleeve or lint free cloth, but this often just results in the grease and dust smudging and blurring the screen. A good screen protector can be removed and washed, or even repel dust and grease. You may also wish to consider a protector that covers the back and sides of your mobile phone.

Mobile phone screen protectors are usually inexpensive compared to other mobile accessories. So there's really no reason you can't get one for your phone. Besides, the cost of the screen protector is just a very small fraction of the cost of your mobile phone.

The iTunes App Store is, without a doubt, full of puzzle games. Some are looking to jump on the bandwagon of Tetris copycats, while others present a match-three style. All attempt to challenge the iPhone gamer. We want to give you a glance into five new iPhone puzzlers competing to grace your screen.

Cross Fingers, by Mobigames, introduces gameplay where players must refit wooden shapes into preset slots. There are two types of shapes, light wood and red wood that must be dealt with. While light wood pieces slide and stay in place, red pieces must be held in place as other pieces are arranged around them. If players let go prematurely, the red shapes will return to their previous location. This clever feature grants Cross Fingers its name. Fingers must be twisted in order to hold the red piece in place while other shapes are reordered to solve the puzzle.

Bringing a bit of a physics theme to the table, Pocketball is a puzzle game that is built on the Box2D engine. The goal in this game is to guide balls into specific pockets in each board. Influenced by gravity, balls are drop from above and must be aimed around the board by ropes. Players draw ropes between pegs to bounce balls in a sort of geometric maze. As the puzzles progress, obstacles are introduced that complicate things. Bombs will destroy balls outright, while gravity wells pull balls toward oblivion. Arrows can work for or against players as they push balls around the screen when touched.

IUGO Mobile Entertainment's Implode is made up of 60 levels of building structures begging to be brought down violently. The game presents itself in a neat chalkboard style where buildings are drawn with only their support beams showing. Players must utilize bombs and dynamite to destroy buildings in each level. The resulting rubble needs to be lower than a horizontal dotted line in order to pass the stage. Upon completion of a level, players are awarded a letter grade determined by a number of bonus factors. There are Explosion Points, Height, Difficulty, and Unused Bomb bonuses. After adding all these factors up, a total payout it granted. Receiving an A+ grade is very difficult, which we believe adds some replay value to the puzzles. Progressing through the levels of Implode will introduce new characteristics and obstacles needing to be overcome.

Dr. Knizia's latest puzzle Monumental takes place in a Mayan setting, with a pair of 3 x 4 grids. A solid column separates the grids. This column fills with rectangular stones, which must be shuttled either left or right into the grids. Each stone has a distinct color and number of symbols upon its face. The goal is to fill rows on either side of the center column that match as many distinctive features as possible. Ideally, you would want to have three red stones with one bird on each, for example. This would earn an excellent score for matching colors, symbols, and number of symbols. Of course, it will be rare to match across all three elements. If you can place stones with the same symbols in a row, even if these are a blue, red, and yellow stone, or two stones with two birds and one stone with three birds, these still qualify as symbol matches. You also score points if you match an identical pair in a row, regardless of what is contained on the third stone. Broken stones without symbols will appear, too. These can only match by color.

We don't want to leave out word puzzle games. Wordigo fits this genre nicely as it pressures players to creatively build words while undergoing a strict seven minute time limit. This brings a level of complexity and brevity to each game session. Wordigo houses eight word puzzle board that all require horizontal and vertical letter tile placement. The layout may remind you of a Scrabble board with many empty areas. Players must reach the goal of cleverly building words using the limited selection of randomized letter tiles. Succession to the next word path can only be had by completing the current path. The scoring system can be positively influenced by proper vowel placement.

These are just a few of the latest puzzle games in the iPhone App Store that caught our attention. Whether you choose one or all of them, we feel each boasts a handsome interface and gameplay elements that will satisfy puzzle fanatics the world over.

IPods are the newest way to enjoy your favorite music. Since they are so popular, there are many accessories that you can buy for them. If you need iPod accessories for car then you can just look online. They are very easy to find and if you look on the internet then you can buy them for a lot less money than if you buy them in the store.

Many people are now using their iPods in their vehicles. This means that there are a lot of iPod accessories for car available. There are many items that can make your iPod easier to listen to and can also keep it much safer.

One of the most popular items that are available are battery charging adapters so that you do not run out of battery before you get home. When you are taking long car rides these are essential to keeping your favorite music going for the entire ride. Most iPod batteries do not last that long so these are great things that you should really invest in.

There are many customizable iPod holders that are available to buy for the car. These help the iPod to not slide around while you drive and get ruined. Your iPod will be much safer in the car this way.

Docking kits are also great to invest in. They will also help your iPod from getting damaged and they will also help you reach it easier in your car. Dash mounts are also great for helping you to get good access to your iPod while you are driving.

You can also get special protectors for your iPod so that your iPod does not get broken or damaged. They come in many color and styles and can be customized any way you want them to be. They can easily be clipped onto your pocket or your purse. Some are even water resistant or water proof so that you don't get it damaged with water.

Being a fairly large investment, you don't want your iPod to become broken or destroyed. Protect it as best you can with great iPod accessories for car and other vehicles. Just go online and research all of the different accessories that you can buy. Find a website that has low shipping and handling and fast shipping. There are so many on the internet that are very reputable websites. It is really worth checking them out.

Even when in the car anyone can use an Apple iPod. There are a number of different iPod car accessories that can work with iPods for any car. These accessories can help with many different things for an iPod's performance. These include holding an iPod, charging it and getting the iPod heard through the car's speakers.

One of the most valuable accessories to use is an FM transmitter. It works to help with connecting an iPod to an electrical outlet used in a car. This transmitter attaches to the iPod through its microphone outlet. An FM frequency is set up through the transmitter to help with getting the iPod to be heard. As a result of this the iPod can be heard through an unused FM frequency in one's area.

Getting the transmitter controlled can be easily done thanks to the display that it can work with. With this a digital display will work to help with controlling the frequency the transmitter works with. When the proper frequency is set the user can tune to that frequency to hear the player.

A car charger is another useful car accessory. Here the user can plug the charger to an electrical outlet and then attach to the iPod to it. The battery charging outlet on the iPod will work with this accessory too. A charger can even be used alongside an FM transmitter. With these two an iPod can be played on long trips as it charges while being played.

Being able to get the iPod properly held in a car is important. It helps to see what types of holders can be used. There are some holders that can use clips to attach onto an A/C vent in the car. Another works with an adhesive that helps to get it attached to a dashboard. Each of these accessories will work with different types of iPods.

No matter what type of accessory is used it will help to see what accessories work with certain models. IPods of different generations can handle different accessories. Some iPods that are smaller in size like the Shuffle or Nano may need their own accessories. Some accessories can work with the iPhone.

These are all iPod car accessories that can be great for any vehicle to use. They can help with getting an iPod to be used in a car. They can also work with different types of iPod systems. All of these are useful for anyone who wants to use an iPod when on the road.

China Unicom, the nation's second largest cell phone carrier, said it expects nearly 10 percent of the third generation (3G) users in the country to switch to Apple Inc's iPhone in the next couple of years.

Tian Wenke, general manager of corporate business department of China Unicom,said that the smartphone has already evoked good interest from business users. "We expect nearly 10 percent of China's 3G users to buy iPhones," Tian said at an industry forum in Hangzhou.

The number of 3G users in the country is expected to reach 16.2 million by the end of next year, according to figures from research firm Wireless Intelligence. Li Yizhong, minister of the industry and information technology, had earlier said China plans to have around 240 million 3G users by 2012. On Tuesday China Unicom Chairman Chang Xiaobing said he expects iPhone to become China's best-selling smartphone.

Unicom was reported to have sold fewer iPhones than analysts' expectations after its debut last month, raising concerns that the high prices may deter customers from buying the smartphone.

According to the company, an iPhone without a service contract costs as much as 6,999 yuan ($1,025) in China, compared with $299 in the United States. The product will be free when customers select a two-year service plan that costs 886 yuan per month.

The company had signed up only 5,000 iPhone users after the first two days of its debut last month. In comparison, nearly 1 million units of the smartphone were sold in the first three days when the latest model was launched in North America and Europe in June. China Unicom also feels that if it were to price the iPhone lower, then users would buy the handset, but run it on the network of its rival carrier China Mobile, which has a nearly 70 percent share of China's mobile market.

An analyst from one of the world's biggest market trackers feels that sales of iPhone are expected to touch 60,000 to 70,000 in China this month. He expects iPhone to account for nearly 5 percent of China's smartphone market by next year. "But the product's further growth will be largely limited due to China Unicom's high pricing," said the analyst, who declined to be named.

Since its debut in 2007, iPhone now has a 17.1 percent share of the global smartphone market in the third quarter of this year, according to research firm Gartner. That makes it the third largest cellphone provider after Nokia and Blackberry maker Research In Motion (RIM). China Unicom had 1.02 million 3G subscribers as of the end of October, the company's Hong Kong-listed arm said in a regulatory filing on Nov'.