On The Call: Apple Readies For IPhone China Launch

SEATTLE (AP) — Apple Inc. is less than two weeks away from selling its first legitimate iPhone in China, in an exclusive partnership with wireless carrier China Unicom.

The "smart" phone has so captivated consumers in 64 countries that Apple spent much of the summer scrambling to make more after demand for its newest model, the iPhone 3GS, outstripped supply.

Apple's Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook said Wednesday that the company had caught up enough to fix shortages in "the vast majority of countries" by early October. But ramping up production unexpectedly caused a related shortage in iPhone parts.

During a conference call, one analyst wondered how Apple was feeling about entering the world's largest wireless market on Oct. 30, in the midst of those supply chain conditions.

QUESTION: And are you comfortable with that, given that you have China launching and maybe even a few other countries?

ANSWER (Cook): I would have liked to have had more, honestly, because we were still short in some countries at quarter end.

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