WSJ: China gets 3G iPad approval

Early this morning, the Wall Street Journal reported that China's certification agency has given Apple the go-ahead to begin selling a 3G device with the model number A1396. As MacRumors points out, that model number corresponds to the 3G-equipped iPad 2. The not-so-mystery device is listed as WCDMA-compatible for operation on the China Unicom network.

While iPad 2 sales in China have been going like blazes since the device's May debut in-country, the approved/available models have been Wi-Fi only. The addition of the 3G unit is likely to add further momentum to China iPad sales.

This approval doesn't bear on the possibility of the iPhone and iPad 2 3G moving onto the market-leading China Mobile network, although previous stories (and a spotting of then-acting CEO Tim Cook at the company's headquarters) all point to that device coming at some point. Since China Mobile uses a different mobile standard than China Unicom, the iDevices for that network will have to be re-engineered or built to work in multinetwork/universal mode.