Filed under: iPhone
China Mobile making things complicated?
China Mobile, the service provider in talks with Apple to distribute the iPhone in the world's most populous country, is still expressing interest in selling the handset, but has plans to open its own online app store.
According to Macworld, Wang Jianzhou, China Mobile's chairman and CEO, said at a recent conference that "We will set up our own shop, and we hope, welcome all content providers to sell their software applications and games and songs and any other products in our application shop."
Cult of Mac's Ed Sutherland notes that Apple and China Mobile are still in talks to bring the handset to China, according to Wang.
Dan Nystedt of the IDG News Service speculated that China Mobile's app store would sell apps for Linux- and Symbian-based mobile phones, but it's unclear how this will affect China Mobile's burgeoning relationship with Apple.
Apple, of course, already has the iTunes store, which offers music, games and apps for the iPhone platform. China Mobile's store is unlikely to interfere technically with the iPhone/iTunes ecosystem, but it would compete financially with Apple's offering. Not that there's anything wrong with competition, of course.
An agreement with China Mobile would mean having the iPhone available to a market of 400 million existing subscribers, and perhaps millions more new subscribers. For comparison, the total population of the United States last year was just over 300 million people.
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Daniel Liu said 3:35PM on 11-18-2008
The crazy thing about that is that they have added 66 million new subscribers this year, and 7 million so far this month!!
Reply
Beltway Greg said 4:37PM on 11-18-2008
It's so unlike the Chinese government. Usually there just so damn transparent and friendly. Like the time they forced our plane down and wouldn't give it back for a few days or there's the lead paint on the toys issue or perhaps the tainted milk.
Beltway Greg
Reply
Maldaen said 5:27PM on 11-18-2008
I know it's chic to take potshots at a country that is progressing towards a more developed civilized nation, but... y'know, never mind, not worth my time.
Jinto said 5:41PM on 11-18-2008
Yup. They progress every day. Communism is the way to go to support a country's people! Why, if they don't do what they should you just send them to nice summer camps... /sarcasm
Johnny said 5:04PM on 11-18-2008
As if they are going to give an American company the freedom to provide whatever content they want to their people.
Reply
Maldaen said 5:16PM on 11-18-2008
As with all other countries, iTunes Store and App Store will be filtered for content based on region, and Apple will likely filter content in co-operation with government officials. So I don't see how there's going to be anything different there.
Jon said 5:45PM on 11-18-2008
If it sells apps for Linux / Symbian phones, how is that competing with the iTunes Store? If you have a non-Apple phone you can't use the iTunes Store anyway.
Now if it was selling iPhone apps, that would be competition.
Reply