According UBS analyst, Maynard Um, the Friday-announced deal between Apple and China Unicom will likely bring about the addition of nearly one million iPhones to Apple's sales during its fiscal 2010, after China Unicom starts selling iPhones in the 2009 fourth quarter.

In terms of specific figures, Um said that he already estimates Apple to sell nearly 25.9 million units in its next fiscal - Apple's fiscal year ends in September each year -, and with an additional one million units would bring about $.04 per share in Apple's profits on a GAAP basis.

Commenting on the momentous future prospects of the Apple deal with the Chinese carrier, Um said in a research note to The Mac Observer clients: "Although the China Unicom deal does not come as much of a surprise, we believe a formal announcement with specific timing of a launch may be viewed as a modest positive."

Another analyst, Brian Marshall of Broadpoint AmTech, noted that the three-year deal between Apple and China Unicom will see the large Chinese market account for between 15-20 percent of Apple's worldwide iPhone sales in the coming year.

Saying that he estimates 37 million iPhones units' global sales in 2010, Marshall added: "With 70 million post-paid customers, and assuming flat sales, which are conservative, I think Apple will sell between five and seven million iPhones in China during 2010."