ePathChina recently hit the news for being the first cellphone wholesaler to release a new mobile supporting DVB that lets you do the necessary functions and watch digital TV, all in a normal mobile. Mobile-lovers will aslo find much to impress in ePathchina's Mutifunction Cellphones and Cheap Mobile Phones categories. Popular Chinese-made cell phones which ePathChina makes available through their online wholesale electronics shop include PDA smart Phones, cheap Dual SIM Cards Dual Standy Phone, TV Mobile Phones, Mobile Phone Watches that also be a watch and a phone, and a wide range of cellphone accessories and Bluetooth Handsets.
Other innovations include FM and Projectors built into a dual sim phone, a free shipping phones that allowed keyboard input and 180 degree rotating, a diamond watch mobile lets users control the functions with a TFT touch screen and Bluetooth without needing of input keys to simple design.
ePathChina's new expanded category can be found here: http://www.epathchina.com/
According to Sophia, the represetative at the Chinese Wholesaler ePathChina.com, brands are becoming less important than price for many vendors and consumers: "We're used to seeing electronics firms go up against each other - big brand names competing. For instance, the Microsoft Zune is being reported as a possible iPod killer. But in reality -- when you look at the numbers, the killer is already there, and the consumers know it -- it's cheap electronics from China."
Until recently only large corporations such as Wal-Mart and experienced importers were able to source products from factories in Mainland China. Up until around five years ago, before internet B2C sourcing came into its own, the communication difficulties made exporting mobile phones and phone accessories from the newly open market in China too complicated for most small and medium businesses.
With "online China sourcing" B2C portals springing up, and innovative online traders and wholesalers offering electronics and other export products for sale direct from China manufactruers, it's becoming increasingly realistic for all sizes of business to "Go Asian" and buy at prices substantially lower than western wholesale rates.
"You just have to look at eBay in the USA and UK - the massively selling items are all Chinese electronics, and it's really spilling over into retail shops now as well," says ePathChina's Sophia. "With mobile phones, consumers are focused on multifunctions and above all on price. So what's really making a dent in brand names sales are the hundreds of thousands of generic - but decent quality - cell phones being sold direct from Shenzhen, China through eBay. Exactly the same effect is quickly emerging in Mp3, Mp4 sales in our wholesale markets in Europe and the States."
Online malls (such as Yahoo Stores owners) and eBay sellers are widely seen as small-scale importers, with little effect on the market. However, as more consumers turn to online shopping to beat the prices of wholesale stores, "Power Sellers" online are shifting the focus towards cheaper imported electronics. "China is without a doubt the leading wholesale electronics source for eBay and Mercadolivre,"
ePathChina's website www.epathchina.com announces new products every month and Sophia states the flexibility of Chinese mobile phone factories as a major competitive factor. "Looking at the mobile phone brands, like Nokia and Sumsang, they hold their high prices due to their reputation. However, in terms of functionality, the designers of these products can't innovate so often because of the slow response time in large scale factory production. The difference with sourcing no-brand or small-brand phones from China is that each factory is producing a new model every month. And there are literally hundreds of different factories around Shanghai, Guangzhou, Dongguan, and Shenzhen all competing to come out with the latest phones. The bigger companies will feel the heat more and more, especially as mobile phones become more mainstream and consumers demand something newer and cheaper. But for electronics importers and medium-scale mobile phones businesses it's only good news from here."
