You can never be too rich or too thin … or have too many sexy phones in your harem.
Apple’s deal with China Unicom is non-exclusive and despite yesterday’s OPhone launch, China Mobile is still lusting after the handset that played hard to get … Apple’s iPhone.
Wang Jianzhou
China Mobile CEO, Wang Jianzhou made his feelings known today during a press briefing, “We have stayed in contact with Apple over the issue of introducing iPhone into the China market” … “Both Ophone and iPhone have their own characteristics and they do not need to compete against each other” says Wang.
Wang Jianzhou’s quote “they do not need to compete against each other” supports my thesis … The bridge between Apple and China Mobile is a 2G (EDGE network) iPhone. China Mobile’s 2G network provides a clear, crisp signal across China, and despite its slower speed (relative to 3G), serves many hundreds of millions of wireless consumers. A low price 2G iPhone might sell by the millions … if not tens of millions.
A TDSCDMA iPhone is out of the picture unless China Mobile taps mother China for cash to pre-purchase a massive quantity of TD iPhone 3Gs. TDSCDMA has received a luke-warm reception by Chinese consumers and China Mobile is moving rapidly to TD LTE 4G. Consequently, it’s my view that Apple won’t build a TD iPhone unless China Mobile agrees to a substantial pre-purchase (5+ million units).
China Mobile and Apple may also chat about TD LTE 4G for 2011 … and possibly a conversation about that new rumored “iTablet thingy” that no one is supposed to know about.
More via > All Things Digital
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