Apple bigwigs on the way to China for iPhone deal

The International Business Times is reporting today that Apple execs, including Greg Joswiak, Apple's VP of iPhone and iPod product marketing, are expected to meet with China Unicom this week to try to cement an iPhone deal there.

The iPhone hasn't been available in China, at least officially, and Apple is eager to gain a foothold. China trade officials say there are one billion phone users in the country, and Apple would love to have an extensive bite of the market.

Apple already has telecom approval in China, and Apple has localized the iPhone software to work in Chinese.

China Unicom is one of the country's large, state owned mobile carriers. There have been some pictures of purported Chinese iPhones posted on Chinese websites, but it isn't known for sure if they are legit. Engadget noted last week that there appears to be a regulatory approval in place for the iPhone in China, complete with the requested Wi-Fi block from the Chinese authorities.

Apple said last April that it hoped to have the iPhone in China by next year.

View Tags

Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20090803/apple-execs-visit-c…

Categories

Apple Corporate iPhone

The International Business Times is reporting today that Apple execs, including Greg Joswiak, Apple's VP of iPhone and iPod product...

Add a Comment

Sign in »

8 Comments

Filter by:

jonnypjh

Will their App Store/iTunes app NOT have a 10MB cell network limit since they won't have wifi? It's important to developers with larger apps. China will bring app store sales to a state that we have yet to see. I expect every app to sell at least 20-33% more than they do now after the Chinese iPhone launch, but removing the 10MB download limit in China is a vital part of having the iPhone be successful in that country, in my opinion.

August 05 2009 at 4:36 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

andy

This deal will definitely a welcome event to developers. I just hope it will have a positive impact to consumers, maybe since they will earn a lot from the China market they can lower download iPhone prices here :)

Andy
http://aclevertwist.com/iphone-apps/app/popper

August 04 2009 at 11:49 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Sarah

Apple is moving on to bigger and better things. With China talking about accepting the iPhone, I think Apple is going broadening their horizons in a great way. This just after the news that they dropped Google, in my opinion, it is about time that they dropped them. Now, donâ€™t get me wrong, I love Google, and it is my search engine, but with Google and Apple now becoming rivals in the computer sector, I am thrilled. Cause this means more competition, and with that comes lower prices, more advanced technology, and STUDENT DISCOUNTS. Ah... the joys of being at a school that provides Apple discounts, including a super premium one for the iPhone. But still, the media is going nuts with this Google step down. Check out an interesting video that talks of what is going to happen in the future for consumers: http://www.newsy.com/videos/a_line_in_the_sand

August 04 2009 at 5:22 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Heimbachae

China. Check. Next. Antarctica.

August 04 2009 at 2:31 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

I honestly thought that said "China U-n-i-c-o-r-n"...

August 04 2009 at 2:09 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to PJ's comment

Ryan Trevisol

I know, I read it that way every time.

August 04 2009 at 2:26 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Jason Hung

Just buy the iPhone in Hong Kong. Unlocked, WiFi, and no waiting.