china telecom
Reuters reports that Apple and China Telecom continue to be engaged in talks regarding bringing the iPhone to China's third-largest carrier. China Telecom currently has over 100 million wireless subscribers, making it larger than either AT&T or Verizon in the United States.

"We have a confidential agreement with Apple and can't tell you anything as of now," Wang told a news conference after the company announced its first-half results.

China Unicom is the only carrier selling the popular iPhone in China, the world's largest mobile phone market, although the two other operators have been aggressively negotiating with Apple to be next.

China Telecom's 3G network operates on the CDMA standard, meaning that Apple could bring its CDMA iPhone 4 introduced on Verizon earlier this year to the carrier.

Reuters reported last month that Apple and China Telecom were close to a deal to introduce the iPhone by the end of the year, but the two sides have apparently yet to come to an official agreement or at least publicly acknowledge that one has been reached.

Apple has been expanding rapidly in China and continues to look to the market as key to the company's continuing growth. Both China Telecom and China Mobile have been courting Apple for the iPhone, with the China Mobile talks said to have involved Steve Jobs himself. China Mobile offers over 600 million subscribers, but operates on a specialized TD-SCDMA standard that would either require Apple to develop custom iPhone hardware or restrict China Mobile users on current iPhone hardware to the carrier's slower 2G network.

Top Rated Comments

Worf Avatar
181 months ago
I'm sure with the high level executives meeting, Steve and Tim will be able to reach a deal with China Telecom by the end of this year.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Shrink Avatar
181 months ago
Not a bad market to open. That would pump up the numbers in the fourth quarter! :cool: ;)
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Richdmoore Avatar
181 months ago
Are they sure they are talking to the real Apple, not just another fake business calling itself Apple?

:D

https://www.macrumors.com/2011/08/11/chinese-government-finds-22-more-fake-apple-stores/
Score: 0 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
top stories 2025 07 12

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, iOS 26 Beta 3, and More

Saturday July 12, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
The iOS 26 public beta release is quickly approaching, while developers have recently gotten their hands on a third round of betas that has seen Apple continue to tweak features, design, and functionality. We're also continuing to hear rumors about the iPhone 17 lineup that is now just about right around the corner, while Apple's latest big-budget film appears to be taking off, so read on...