“The phones are expected to go on sale in the fourth quarter under a [3-year] deal struck between the two companies, Unicom executives said in Hong Kong. They declined to give financial details or reveal how much the iPhone would cost, saying only that the price would be ‘competitive,'” Marquez reports.
“Unicom, one of three major state-owned carriers, would be the first Chinese phone company to formally support the iPhone, though thousands of unlocked iPhones brought in from other markets are in use in China. It is the only company in China that supports the network standard needed for the iPhone, known as WCDMA,” Marquez reports.
“Unicom chairman and CEO Chang Xiaobin said Chinese media reports that Unicom had secured a three-year exclusive deal to carry the iPhone and had agreed to buy 5 million handsets for 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion) were false,” Marquez reports. “Apple’s talks with potential Chinese carriers had snagged on disagreements about how to share revenues, according to Chinese news reports. But Chang said the companies will not share revenues, with Unicom instead buying the phones in batches from iPhone and offering them with subsidies.”
Full article here.
Kirby Chien and Joanne Chiu report for Reuters, “The phones would not offer a Wi-Fi function, and Unicom predicted it would eventually secure a third of China’s 3G market share, but did not provide a timeframe.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “James W.” for the heads up.]
Gung Hey Fat Choy!
and it’s good to see the press shut out of the details.
“Unicom, one of three major state-owned carriers”
So, basically, China has one carrier – the government?
So WCDMA is compatible with GSM?
@breeze
Yeah, ain’t state-owned businesses the best! Bet you can’t wait until Apple is state-owned…
Renderdog :
I render you an idiot dog.
Wonder what the stock will do today.
No kidding: MW-“fall”
Actually, Renderdog, you’re not far off the mark here in the USA. Given the current state of things and the trends so obvious to one and all, state-owned (or at least state-controlled) business is just around the corner.
Finance is there; the automobile industry is there; the health care industry is *almost* there; and the “czars” are preparing to control almost every facet of our lives, from education to communication to fornication to . . . .
Thank Heavens I won’t have to make hard decisions for myself anymore. My “betters” will do all the heavy thinking and lifting for me, and for that I shall be eternally grateful.
Finance and auto industry is *not* there. What we have in the US is a corporate welfare state; hands off until we get in trouble due to our own stupidity and greed, then bail us out please.
@ Randian
Try to turn down that A.M. radio. I can hear it from here.
You Americans are just making baby steps. You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
Come up to Canada where it’s actually possible to have the Government, in some form or anther, wipe your ass from the cradle to the grave.
Social Welfare State indeed.
Oh… here we go again. Take it outside, boys.
Back to topic. Doesn’t China have GSM network that can use existing iPhone design. How does WCDMA differ from CDMA? Sounds like a complete custom version of iPhone for China. You have to believe that once Apple starts manufacturing this model they will look for ways to use it elsewhere. What other countries might have a use for WCDMA iPhones with no WI-FI?
Thanks Spark. I was starting to get woozy.
“The phones would not offer a Wi-Fi function”
Looks like Apple surrendered to the demands of Chinese state security. It’s easier for the state to monitor everything through the carriers they run than via millions of hot spots. Apple gains from this deal, but freedom took a hit.
@ Spark
indications are that W-CDMA is compatible with GSM handsets. As a matter of fact it is how Verizon (a strictly CDMA shop) can sell the Blackberry Storm and claim it works as a world wide phone compatible with GSM networks in Europe. I believe the Storm also has no wifi so it could sell in the current Chinese market verbatim.
This link may help to clear up some issues and make others more obscure: http://forums.wirelessadvisor.com/general-wireless-discussion/16388-gsm-vs-wcdma.html