China Mobile

Weak iPhone 5c demand possible factor in missing China Mobile deal

The entire tech world let out a simultaneous gasp when China Mobile launched its 4G network on Wednesday and made no mention of the iPhone. Up until then we had seen a flurry of reports and evidence suggesting that Apple had finally reached a deal with the carrier.

But clearly that's not the case, and the big question now is: what's the holdup? Well according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the deal may have been slowed by unexpectedly weak demand for the iPhone 5c versus the iPhone 5s among China Mobile customers...

AAPL takes heat on missing China Mobile deal, talks still underway

The Wall Street Journal earlier this month asserted that China Mobile and Apple had finally cut a lucrative distribution agreement that would put the iconic smartphone on the world's largest mobile network with more than 759 million subscribers, or more than twice the U.S. population.

China Mobile Shanghai’s website has even offered iPhone 5s/5c pre-orders as the giant wireless operator is gearing up to launch its new 4G TD-LTE mobile network in the 1.33 billion people country, Apple's second-largest market by revenue.

But alas, the deal hasn't materialized although the WSJ story suggested that Apple and China Mobile would announce the iPhone agreement "around December 18".

With no deal in sight, shares of Apple dropped nearly two percent in early trading Wednesday, with the carrier confirming to Reuters that it's still in talks with Apple. And so the cat-and-mouse game continues...

China Mobile aggressively promoting iPhones and iPads for big launch

Earlier this month, reports surfaced that China Mobile and Apple finally inked a deal for the carrier to begin offering iPhones to its some 700 million+ subscribers. Yesterday, China Mobile confirmed the news, taking pre-orders for the iPhone 5s and 5c.

And it looks like the world's largest carrier is enthusiastic about its new partnership with Apple, as it has gone all out on marketing materials for the launch. Many China Mobile retail stores have dedicated much of their ad and display space to iOS devices...

WSJ: China Mobile to start taking iPhone pre-orders this Thursday

The long-enduring game of cat and mouse between Apple, the maker of the world's most popular smartphone, and China Mobile, the world's top wireless carriers with more than 700 million subscribers (the equivalent of over twice the US population), looks to be ending as the carrier is expected to start taking pre-orders for the iconic device later this week, reports The Wall Street Journal.

As the carrier is gearing up to launch its long-expected high-speed fourth-generation network services on December 18, China Mobile Shanghai’s website on Monday invited potential customers to pre-order the iPhone 5s and other smartphones from Samsung and Sony that support China Mobile's new 4G TD-LTE mobile network...

Contradictory report reveals Apple hasn’t inked China Mobile deal yet

After the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday said that anonymous sources claimed Apple and China Mobile have finally inked an iPhone distribution agreement, most outlets, including us, reported it as a fact.

Add on top of that the carrier's Suzhou subsidiary opened a reservation system for the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c and the fact that China Mobile is gearing up to launch its fourth-generation Long-Term Evolution (LTE) mobile network this month and it's no surprise that everyone bought the WSJ report.

But now, an influential news organization relays words of a China Mobile official who insisted that the deal has not been inked yet...

WSJ: Apple and China Mobile finally ink iPhone deal

Following a number of rumors and reports over the past few weeks, The Wall Street Journal is reporting this evening that Apple and China Mobile have finally inked an iPhone deal. The outlet says it's scheduled to launch later this month.

The deal, which has also been confirmed by state-run news outlet Xinhua and a China Mobile subsidiary, comes after nearly 6 years of on-and-off negotiations, and will give Apple access to China Mobile's 700 million+ subscriber base...

China Mobile quietly opens iPhone 5s, 5c reservation system

Late yesterday evening, China Mobile quietly launched a reservation for the iPhone 5s and 5c via its subsidiary in Suzhou—a major city in Eastern China. This serves as one of the first concrete traces that Apple has in fact reached a deal with the world's largest carrier.

Rumors about the partnership have intensified in recent months, and in November, the state-run news outlet Xinhua reported that an official announcement would be made on December 18. The two sides have been negotiating an iPhone deal for more than 5 years...

China Mobile to launch its 4G LTE network next month

Rumors have been circulating for the past few weeks that China Mobile is on the verge of launching its LTE network next month. And it looks like the reports were true, as the news has been confirmed this week by state-run news outlet Xinhua.

This is big news for a couple of reasons. For one, this will be the country's first major rollout of 4G. And two, it means Apple will finally be able to start offering its two latest iPhone models on China Mobile, as they support its TD-LTE standard...

China Mobile expected to launch iPhone December 18

After years of negotiations and several months of rumors, it looks like China Mobile is finally going to land the iPhone next month. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the carrier is expected to announce the "new brand" for mobile services on December 18.

Apple and China Mobile have long been reported to be in partnership discussions, and Tim Cook has been seen at the company's headquarters in Beijing multiple times. But for whatever reason, the two sides have been unable to reach an agreement. Until now...

Tim Cook joins board of China’s top Beijing university

As China becomes more important to Apple's bottom line, the iPhone maker will need to grease the wheels to ensure products are timely approved. In a step in that direction, Apple CEO Tim Cook has joined the advisory board of a prestigious engineering university - which also happens to include a number of prominent Chinese politicians.

Cook, who is also a Nike board member, has added his name to a panel assisting Tsinghua University's School of Economics and Management (SEM), according to a report. As markets such as North America and Western Europe mature and growth slows, tech companies like Apple view China as a way to take up the slack...

China Mobile iPhone launch should be imminent

Ahead of September's double iPhone launch, the Wall Street Journal reported Apple had finally inked a sought-after deal with China Mobile to distribute the iconic smartphone. Indeed, TENAA, the Chinese equivalent of the United States Federal Communications Commission, has made public documents pertaining to both new iPhones.

Specifically, the filings mention GSM-enabled TD-LTE radios inside the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, proving Apple had in fact been given a network license for China Mobile's third and fourth-generation cellular services.

As Apple's existing carrier partners China Unicom and China Telecom use the more common CDMA variants (CDMA2000 or WCDMA), these TD-LTE network licenses are the strongest indication that China Mobile, the world's largest telco with 704+ million subscribers, may offer the iPhone 5s/5c real soon...

Apple seeks expert in China Mobile’s TD-LTE ahead of iPhone deal

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...