Asian markets end mixed Wednesday, with banking shares leading Japan lower on concerns over equity issuances, while gains in brokerages helped South Korean stocks advance.

The slow early sales of the iPhone in China are nothing for Apple to worry about, writes Frank Cioffi.

If I wasn’t so in tune with news surrounding Apple (AAPL) I'd never have known that the iPhone launched in China last week. And no it’s not because sales were so weak I have yet to see a local Chinese person tapping away on the high-tech touch-screen phone. It’s because I’ve seen hundreds of Chinese people with iPhones since the day I arrived in Shanghai months ago.In Apple’s eyes the iPhone may have debuted last week. In reality iPhones have been available to the Chinese albeit illegally for quite some time. Some venture down to Hong Kong to purchase ...

China's rising wealth and tech-savvy consumers meant that 3G mobile phones would be a slam dunk. Unfortunately for Chinese telecoms, however, few customers seem to be interested so far.

In the wake of mixed earnings from two of China’s top telecommunications companies, analysts offer a downbeat outlook for the sector as competition grows more intense within an increasingly saturated market.