“Apple Inc. is one step closer to beginning sales of iPad 2 tablet computers with cellular network compatibility for the first time in China, where the consumer-electronics giant is in the midst of an aggressive expansion,” Loretta Chao and Yun-Hee Kim report for The Wall Street Journal.
“According to China’s Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center, a device by Apple with third-generation high-speed wireless data capabilities was issued the network access license needed for the company to begin official sales in China,” Chao and Kim report. “The device, listed under model number ‘A1396,’ is compatible with the 3G standard WCDMA, and would work with the cellular network operated by Apple’s local iPhone partner, China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd.”
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Chao and Kim report, “Apple already offers the 3G iPad 2 in Hong Kong through its partners, but currently only offers Wi-Fi versions of the device in mainland China. Still, consumers in China, which according to research firm IDC surpassed the U.S. as the world’s largest PC market in the second quarter, have been purchasing 3G tablets through unofficial channels.”
Read more in the full article here.