Apple’s Smartphone Brand in China Now Ahead of Nokia

Nokia may be having a rough go of it worldwide, but its brand has always been especially strong in China, where many consider its phones to be the perfect combination of reliable, affordable, and appealing. Its smartphone offerings have been less appetizing, though, and it seems that even in China, the magic is fading away.

According to a Morgan Stanley report cited by AppleInsider, for the first time ever, more Chinese customers say they want an Apple for their next smartphone than a Nokia.

via AppleInsider

Granted, Morgan Stanley’s report was almost certainly written before Nokia unveiled their new Windows Phone handsets, but the results of this survey still speak to what is apparently plummeting interest in the Nokia brand and increasing interest — no surprise there — in Apple. Apple has been stepping up its involvement in China recently, opening several new stores.

Apple’s rise has clearly been a rapid one, as a survey from TNS Global last year found Nokia to be Asia’s most recognized brand. Apple didn’t even make the list, yet now, a year later, their phones are more desirable in China than Nokia’s. Impressive. So much so, in fact, that a girl in China was willing to trade her virginity for an iPhone 4 and another guy traded his kidney for an iPad.

It’s hard to beat Apple at branding, but it’s worth keeping in mind that for the moment, anyway, this is just about branding, and the report is on Chinese consumer preferences, not actual sales. Lots of people want their next smartphone to be an iPhone, after all, but not all of them will buy one, especially since the already-expensive devices cost even more in China than they do abroad (thanks a lot, import taxes!) and tend to arrive here months after the same handsets were released elsewhere.

Plus, Nokia is doing some cool stuff in Asia. So, you never know, a comeback isn’t totally impossible.

But I kind of doubt it.

[Via AppleInsider]