Apple is a bit like a black hole: only by detecting its effect on nearby objects can observers discern its real intention. The latest clue to Apple’s China card is a job posting seeking a networking expert in a technology only used by China Mobile. The engineer would be based in Beijing, supporting China Mobile’s 3G technology TD-SCDMA, as well as TD-LTE, which the world’s largest carrier is testing.
This latest report comes as the iPhone maker supposedly nears a deal with the carrier, which counts 63 percent of China’s 1.2 billion wireless consumers among its subscribers. Still, Apple refuses to comment…
“This role will be responsible for the overall management of the technical interface to all carriers in the Greater China region,” Bloomberg quotes the ad placed on Apple’s website.
The manager would also “support and drive the carrier approval of mobile phones,” along with “supporting carriers with new technology trials, managing carrier reported technical issues, tracking carrier road maps and supporting senior level engineering meetings.”
Just as astronomers detect the presence of black holes by noticing the wobble of nearby objects, the ad’s mention of TD-SCDMA essentially tells Apple watchers that the tech giant is talking about China Mobile.
“The position seeks experience with TD-SCDMA, China Mobile’s own third-generation standard that isn’t used by other carriers,” reports Bloomberg. China Mobile is also testing the 4G standard TD-LTE, which both the iPhone 5s/5c reportedly support.
China Unicom/Telecom – which already sell iPhones – use WCDMA and CDMA.
This isn’t the first indication how much Apple wants China Mobile as an iPhone partner. Consider for the first time, the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c were released simultaneously with the U.S. and Europe, rather than months afterwards.
Throw in Apple CEO Tim Cook’s multiple missions to China and his comments that China will likely become Apple’s largest market. Today’s report then becomes just further proof an agreement between Apple and China Mobile is mostly a done deal.
Despite all of this, China Mobile’s parent firm China Mobile Corp., would only tell Bloomberg that the two firms “have been in talks on cooperation.”
And the saga continues…