China Mobile

Tim Cook continues discussions aimed at bringing the iPhone to the world's largest carrier, China Mobile

By Rene Ritchie, Thursday, Jan 10, 2013 a 10:08 am

The iPhone is one of the most popular phones on the world, yet almost 6 years later it's still not on China Mobile, the largest carrier in the world, and unavailable in any official way to China Mobile's over 700 million subscribers. Discussions have been going on for years, of course, and earlier today Apple's CEO Tim Cook met with China Mobile's Chairman Xi Guohua in Bejing to keep them moving.

China Mobile president: technology and 'business model' hurdles to carrying iPhone

By Derek Kessler, Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 a 10:28 pm

The relationship between China Mobile and Apple has been a strange one to watch unfold over the years. China Mobile president Li Yue recently spoke about his company's ongoing talks with Apple, which he said have been going on since 2009, and have become "more intimate" in the last year (the same talks were confirmed back in May of this year). While the technology stumbling block would be acknowledged by anybody involved, Li says that it's not just technology that's holding things up - there's the whole issue of money too.

China Mobile confirms talks with Apple aimed at bringing the iPhone to its network

By chrisoldroyd, Wednesday, May 16, 2012 a 3:09 am

China Mobile has confirmed that it is in talks with Apple over bringing the iPhone officially to its network. China Mobile’s chairman Xi Guohua told its shareholders about the talks although there is still no news if a deal has been agreed.

China Mobile reaches 15 million unofficial iPhone users, receives iPhones 4S fix from Apple

By Rene Ritchie, Monday, Mar 5, 2012 a 11:52 am

Much like T-Mobile in the US, China Mobile's 3G technology isn't compatible with Apple's iPhone, so unofficial iPhones are a strictly 2G only affair. While there are over 1 million unofficial iPhone on T-Mobile users, that's dwarfed by China Mobile's 15 million unofficial iPhone users. An unofficial number big enough, it seems, to garner a little official support from Apple.

iPhone prototype running China Mobile -- Real, fake, or really fake?

By Andrew Wray, Thursday, Jul 7, 2011 a 9:46 pm

Sohu.com published a photo of what appears to be an iPhone prototype running on the China Mobile network. If it isn't fake -- and we take such things with a Great Wall sized grain of salt -- it suggests the iPhone maybe coming to the world's largest carrier sooner rather than later.

The phone appears to run baseband software with version number 06.10.01, which hasn’t been released yet. It also lacks an IMEI number, just like an iPhone 4 prototype we spotted on eBay. Evaluation devices normally have no IMEI number.

Apple to support TD-LTE says China Mobile’s Chairman.

By George Lim, Thursday, Jan 27, 2011 a 8:30 am

China Mobile Chairman, Wang Jianzhou, was quoted yesterday saying that Apple will support next-gen TD-LTE.

These two years we have been discussing the issue. Right now the situation is moving forward. Apple has made it clear they will support TD-LTE.

China Mobile, has been negotiating with Apple for years, to develop a TD-SCDMA supported iPhone for their current 3G network, and TD-LTE for their future 4G network.

China Mobile hasn't signed a deal with Apple yet because Apple doesn't currently support TD-SCDMA, which China Mobile use for their 3G network, but with Apple's new CDMA phone for Verizon, Wang hopes that Apple will consider supporting TD-SCDMA.

Airtel Bringing iPhone 3GS to India, China Mobile Wants in on iPhone and iPad

By Rene Ritchie, Friday, Mar 19, 2010 a 6:58 pm

While it's easy to think the iPhone 3GS is everywhere now, TiPb still gets email asking when it will be in India, and on the largest carrier in the largest market in the world, China Mobile.

Well Macworld tells us Airtel has finally announced they'll be bringing the iPhone 3GS to India:

New Delhi, March 19, 2010 : Bharti Airtel and Apple have reached an agreement to bring iPhone 3GS, the fastest most powerful iPhone yet, to India in the coming months. For information please visit www.airtel.in/iphone3gs. For more information on iPhone, please visit www.apple.com/iphone .

iPhone 3.0 "ChinaBrick" Reference Connected to China Mobile Demands for Disabling Wi-Fi and 3G?

By Rene Ritchie, Friday, May 15, 2009 a 2:48 pm

In a move designed to make even notorious Wi-Fi stripper Verizon seem liberal by comparison, China Mobile's outstanding demand that Apple strip the iPhone of both Wi-Fi and 3G if they want to sell to the worlds largest carrier just got an uncomfortable shot of "maybe" via Apple Insider:

while there's no concrete information to suggest Apple would agree to make such concessions, references to "ChinaBrick" discovered in betas of iPhone Software 3.0 leave room for debate.

China Mobile and Apple Rumble over App Store

By Rene Ritchie, Wednesday, Feb 11, 2009 a 7:40 am

Aiya! There's still no iPhone officially available in the world's most populous country, the People's Republic of China. Sure, Apple actually sells unlocked iPhones in Hong Kong and Taiwan in an attempt to lure the most affluent Chinese customers to their platform -- and lets not forget the monstrous iPhone 2G black market -- but absent homegrown carrier subsidies and support, it will never attain most-favored device status.

iPhone 3G in China: Minus the 3G and WiFi... Aiya!?

By Jeremy, Friday, Sep 26, 2008 a 10:55 am

If this is not bizarre, I don't know what is. Customers looking to purchase a iPhone 3G in China will soon be able to do so. Just a little catch though, minus the 3G and toss in the omission of WiFi.

China Mobile does not have a 3G network so I understand them asking Apple to disable 3G but going a step further asking to disabling WiFi as well?! That leaves all of the owners of the iPhone 3G (don't forget to take away that 3G) with a slow 2G data connection. China Mobile might as well sell the iPhone 3G as a very nice paperweight to all of their customers. Exactly why China Mobile would disable WiFi is way beyond me.