Infinite Loop / The Apple Ecosystem

Despite reports, China iPhone deal not set in stone

An early report today cited unnamed sources claiming that China Unicom had …

Reports that China Unicom and Apple had reached a preliminary agreement to bring the iPhone to China have been denied by representatives from China Unicom. The initial news came from Shanghai Securities News, a top Chinese financial newspaper run by Xinhua News Agency. While China Unicom seems the most likely candidate to be Apple's carrier partner in China, the company says no official deal has been made. "Discussions are still ongoing, we have not reached any formal agreement," Sophia Tso, a spokesperson for China Unicom, told Reuters.

"We have made progress but there are still some problems to be resolved," said another Unicom spokesperson, who spoke to Agence France-Presse. "Both sides have their own timeframe for an agreement but essentially it depends on the practical progress of the negotiations," he said.

Apple has been looking to move into the Chinese market, which boasts the largest potential mobile handset market in the world. Talks have been on-again, off-again with China Mobile, though last we heard in March discussions were still ongoing. Talks began in earnest with China Unicom, the country's second largest carrier, in January of this year, after it became the first Chinese mobile carrier to begin building a standard, GSM-based 3G network.

Most recently, Apple had been granted a wireless transmitting license for the iPhone and had applied for network access license—once approved, it will be the last piece in the regulatory puzzle. Once a deal with a carrier can be finalized, iPhone China will be a go. But that day is not today.

Expand full story

You must to comment.