iPhone Invades China on October 1

Apple's iPhone will finally get to move out of China's grey market on October 1 when China Unicom begins selling the combination iPod and smartphone. The cell service provider announced the launch on Monday with plans to sell the iPhone for about CNY5,000 (about US$732.50).

China Unicom will offer eight different subscription plans priced between CNY126 and CNY886 a month. Depending on which subscription plan users sign up for, they may be eligible for discounted phone prices, and the Financial Times reported that prepaying CNY7,999 for the top service plan will score subscribers a free 32GB iPhone 3GS.

Subscribers won't, hoever, get to take advantage of Wi-Fi like other iPhone owners around the world thanks to Chinese government regulations. China consumers will still have to turn to the grey market for Wi-Fi capable iPhones.

Despite the forced limitations on the iPhone in China, the handheld will still likely be enticing to many China Unicom customers. The move into China will likely work out well for Apple, too, since its iPhone will be more easily available to the country's consumers.