iPhone 4 hits China on Saturday following iPad launch last week

In addition to Apple stores in the mainland, China Unicom will start carrying the iPhone 4 this weekend, 25 September. Pre-ordering for the device starts on Friday.

China Unicom will reportedly sell the iPhone 4 bundled with a two year mobile service contract and require users to make a down payment. The telco is offering the phone free with a minimum US$43 monthly plan or for US$580 with a lower monthly plan at US$14.

China Unicom is expecting to gain 1.5 million new 3G service users this October.

Last Friday, Apple fans in China flocked to retailers for the iPad launch. The first person in line, Han Ziwan, queued for 60 hours in the rain outside of the Apple store in Beijing.

Han, wearing a t-shirt with the words 'I buy iPad No 1', proudly stepped out of the Apple store branding two iPads, the limit per person set by the Apple store.

The iPad retails for approximately 20 per cent more in China compared to the US. Official sales figures have not yet been released, but the Shanghai outlet recorded at least 200 people lined up on the first day of sales.

Reuters reported that iPad will hit 10 million unit sales by the end of this year and 28 million in 2011.