The iPhone Wave Hits China

The recent announcement by China Unicom that they will offer iPhones in China (http://wirelessweek.com/News/2009/08/China-to-Get-iPhone/) is evidence of the surging demand for smartphones among the masses.  Unfortunately, the Chinese government requires them to disable the WiFi capability on the device which will significantly limit some of it's capabilities.  Never-the-less, the iPhone coupled with a growing middle-class with an appetite for entertainment could create a whole new wireless economy and social fabric in China.  Depending on how the app-store model takes root, there could be a new wave of Chinese entrepreneurs launcing apps to address everything from games to business productivity.   Hopefully Unicom's network is ready for the Tsunami.