Posted: November 2, 2009 at 6:45 am

In the United States, people will line up for blocks and camp out in the cold to be the first customers into Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) retail stores when the consumer electronics wonder introduces a new product. The Chinese response to the introduction of the iPhone was muted.

The Wall Street Journal reports that iPhone sales in China may be slow, at least compared to those in the US. Among the reasons are a retail price that can be over $1,000 and the fact that two million iPhones has already been sold through unauthorized dealers.

A poor reception in China could be the first setback of any significance for the iPhone. It has already sold 34 million units worldwide and is widely viewed as Apple’s next...