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Apple Continues to Make Progress on Chinese Wi-Fi-Capable iPhone

Tuesday May 4, 2010 6:21 am PDT by Eric Slivka

IDG News Service reports that Chinese regulators have approved the required frequency ranges for a new iPhone offering the Chinese version of Wi-Fi, a feature the device has lacked since its launch there last October.

Chinese regulators last month approved the frequency ranges used by a new Apple mobile phone with 3G and wireless LAN support, the Web site of China's State Radio Monitoring Center shows. The device appears to be an iPhone and uses GSM and the 3G standard WCDMA, just like iPhones currently offered in China by local carrier China Unicom.

According to the regulatory agency, the new iPhone supports WAPI (WLAN Authentication and Privacy Infrastructure), a homegrown Chinese security protocol.

Apple must still receive a network access license before launching the new iPhone model for sale. Representatives for Apple's carrier partner China Unicom had indicated at the time of the iPhone's original launch there that they had hoped for the release of a Wi-Fi-capable version by the end of 2009, but the process is clearly taking longer than originally anticipated.
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macintologist
Posted: 27 months ago
China is becoming the new America: they have all these weird exclusive standards that are different from the rest of the world. If I lived there I'd be constantly using Witopia VPN on my wireless hotspot at home.
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superknoppix
Posted: 27 months ago
china doesn't need the iPhone, they can use their cheap little knockoff iphones... :p
And why would you need wifi in a country without internet?
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vista.john
Posted: 27 months ago

china doesn't need the iPhone, they can use their cheap little knockoff iphones... :p
And why would you need wifi in a country without internet?


:confused:

:eek:
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Kristenn
Posted: 27 months ago

china doesn't need the iPhone, they can use their cheap little knockoff iphones... :p
And why would you need wifi in a country without internet?



Woa! Where the hell did that come from?! You uh... you need to work on that. Bad dog!
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JesterJJZ
Posted: 27 months ago
So...would these work on Verizon? Isn't that WCDMA?
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kiljoy616
Posted: 27 months ago

China is becoming the new America: they have all these weird exclusive standards that are different from the rest of the world. If I lived there I'd be constantly using Witopia VPN on my wireless hotspot at home.


Mc Carthy would have drooled to Chinese Government paranoia. but we are not like them for now at least. :eek:.
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kiljoy616
Posted: 27 months ago

Woa! Where the hell did that come from?! You uh... you need to work on that. Bad dog!


He came from the Republican Don't know dick University.

Where they are taught to make believe everything and know basically nothing.

Do people still think China is some backward country? They may not be us here in the USA but they are catching up and will probably surpass us in the coming decade or two, considering a large part of american society is getting dumber than a rock.

Now lets pray. "Oh great white bearded man in sky, may through your glory smite the china located somewhere because I can't read a map. Amen! :rolleyes:
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retroneo
Posted: 27 months ago
It doesn't require any hardware changes. All Broadcom WiFi chips that Apple uses already support WAPI.
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Nermal
Posted: 27 months ago

So...would these work on Verizon? Isn't that WCDMA?


No, Verizon is CDMA2000. AT&T is WCDMA in some areas and GSM in most.
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Jakeoster
Posted: 27 months ago
I've heard my parents talking about getting iPhones. I guess this is all they needed to make it happen because they arnt ones to buy unlocked black-market phones.
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