China

Apple to Unveil 4G TD-LTE iPhone 5, According to China Mobile

Alex Heath ∙ August 4, 2011

After months of "being in talks" with China's largest carrier, China Mobile, Apple seems to have closed a deal with the carrier that includes distribution for the upcoming iPhone 5. On top of that, China Mobile is now saying that it has reached an agreement with Apple to bring an iPhone 5 with 4G speeds to its network.

The report doesn't directly imply that a 4G-equipped iPhone would release on China Mobile this Fall, and recent reports have said that a 4G iPhone won't be seen until at least 2012...

Chinese Military Bypasses Apple and Releases a Jailbreak App

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated March 18, 2019

People's Liberation Army (PLA), aka the unified military organization of China, has been under scrutiny for the past few years for being the second largest military in the world in terms of budget, right behind the US.

To relieve stress from neighboring countries and also the rest of the world, the PLA thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to be more transparent about its military capabilities and intentions, and so they decided to create an iPhone application.

This news itself is interesting, but maybe the most interesting part is that the app will not be available on the App Store. It will only be available on jailbroken devices...

Fake iPhone 5 Units Surface, Indicative of Real iPhone 5 Design?

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Rumors of an iPhone 5 announcement this Fall have been highly contradictory with each other over the last few weeks. Will it be announced in August? Will it launch in September or October instead?

Well, if you just can't take waiting anymore for Apple to unveil their upcoming smartphone, gizChina might have a temporary solution for you. The gadget blog just came across an interesting counterfeit device modeled after the yet-to-be-announced iPhone...

Fake Apple Stores in China Getting Shut Down

Alex Heath ∙ Updated January 27, 2017

You may have heard about the fake Apple stores uncovered in Kunming, China. Essentially, unauthorized resellers were created identical replicas of Apple retail stores without Apple's permission. As you can see from the picture above, some of them couldn't get the company's name spelled correctly, though.

Now it seems that Chinese officials (and oddly enough not Apple) have gotten word of these fake Apple store operations, and two stores in Kunming, China have already been shut down. We're still waiting for Steve Jobs to pull out the big red button and nuke the rest of these stores off the map...

Alleged iPhone 5 Case Hints at Buttonless Device, Curved Back, Bigger Screen

Alex Heath ∙ July 26, 2011

A new prototype case for the alleged iPhone 5 has leaked via a Chinese accessory manufacturer working in conjunction with Foxconn. This case design comes from MobileFun, a UK-based site that claims to have received this information through its supply chain sources overseas.

If this alleged case design for the upcoming iPhone 5 is representative of the rumored device's design, there will be several major aesthetic changes made to Apple's next iPhone— a curved back, larger screen, and possibly even a totally buttonless design...

Apple Planning Big Things for the iPhone in China

Alex Heath ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

The iPhone's presence in China is about to get supercharged, thanks to an alleged agreement between the nation's largest carrier, China Mobile, and the folks at Cupertino. The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple and China Mobile are "getting closer" to an iPhone deal for the carrier's 600+ million wireless customers.

Once China Mobile joins China Telecom and China Unicom as the third carrier to offer the iPhone in the world's most populated nation, we're sure Apple will start bringing in international profit but the truckloads...

China is the Land of Fake iPhones and Fake… Apple Stores?

Alex Heath ∙ July 20, 2011

We all know that China is the land of fake iPhones and bootleg tech. One-third of the iPhones in China are jailbroken, and we've seen countless ripoffs and iPhone look-a-likes come from the Asia Pacific region.

But what about physical, brick and mortar ripoffs of the Apple store? Apparently, carbon copy clones of the Apple Store abound in China, and Apple has yet to do anything about them...

China Telecom Will Offer iPhone Before Year’s End

Alex Heath ∙ July 13, 2011

China Telecom, a carrier in the world's largest mobile market, plans to offer the iPhone before the end of this year. Rumors are that Apple has been talking behind closed doors with China Telecom execs for months about bringing the iPhone to the Chinese market, and Apple's acting CEO, Tim Cook, was recently spotted at China Mobile HQ.

It's unclear as to when China Telecom will sell the iPhone exactly, but it's expected that we'll see Apple's flagship device on the carrier by at least December...

iPhone Helps Reunite Mother and Daughter After Years of Separation

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

We've reported on a lot of unfortunate events here on iDB. From the ongoing struggle in Foxconn's factories, to human rights, to the awful tragedy that struck Japan earlier this year. So needless to say we love it when a feel-good story comes along.

Just a few days after hearing the heartwarming story of Holly and her iPad, another touching tale involving an iDevice has started to circle the web. The Loop uncovered this report from a Chinese publication about how an iPhone sparked a reunion between a mother and daughter...

China Mobile Worker Confirms iPhone 5’s September Launch

Guest Author ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Still wondering why Apple COO Tim Cook was wandering around China Mobile HQ earlier this week? Well, it may have something to do with the company's upcoming iPhone 5.

A worker for China Mobile allegedly revealed on Weibo.com (China's substitute to Twitter) that Apple's fifth-generation iPhone will indeed launch in September like previous speculation has suggested — possibly even earlier in the U.S. and other key markets.

China Now the App Store’s Second Largest Market

Alex Heath ∙ June 23, 2011

Distimo has released a new study that focuses on the iPhone's App Store development in Asia. The analytics company examined data from 14 different countries, including China, to determine the App Store's influence in the Eastern hemisphere.

The report's findings placed China as the second largest market for Apple's App Store, next to the United States. Interestingly, while many European countries are seeing decreases in App Store activity, countries like China are seeing exponential growth in App Store download volume.

Tim Cook Spotted at China Mobile Headquarters, iPhone Deal Looming?

Cody Lee ∙ June 23, 2011

M.I.C. gadget is reporting that Apple's Tim cook was spotted at a China Mobile building yesterday morning. If anyone's wondering why Apple's acting-CEO visiting the world's largest wireless carrier is a big deal, let me break it down for you.

China Mobile has over 600 million customers and is one of the few major carriers left that does not offer Apple's smartphone. The citing of the Apple executive has sparked tons of speculation around the web regarding his visit...