China website Sina.com.cn has posted several photos (below) of the rumored new iPhone model for China. Sina.com.cn was apparently “motivated” to later alter (blur-out) both the model number and the WCDMA (China Unicom’s 3G network) inscription showing on the backside. The use of simplified Chinese inscriptions on the iPhone backside is interesting as the iPhone model for Hong Kong uses traditional Chinese (more complex characters). Simplified Chinese is more widely used in mainland China.
Owen Fletcher at IDG News Service points out one other interesting item showing in the photos:
“The iPhone in the pictures also carries China’s ‘Environmental Protection Use Period’ mark, which indicates the number of years of normal operation during which hazardous or toxic substances included in the product will not leak or change in a way that harms the environment or human health. In the case of the iPhone pictured that length of time is 10 years.”
Are these actual photos of the iPhone code-named “Model 90″ (a.k.a. A1324) rumored to be in production in at Foxconn’s factory in Shenzhen? Or are these just photoshop fakes? I’ll leave it to the Photoshop experts to dissect.
The second set of photos (below) shows China Unicom’s carrier signal in the top left hand corner. The battery percentage meter reveals it is a 16GB 3GS model. NOTE: The front face iPhone photos do not necessarily prove anything, as there are many iPhones (including iPhone 3GS) in China that are now in test mode on China Unicom’s WCDMA 3G network.
