china mobile logoReuters reports that China Mobile has announced a new milestone of ten million iPhone users on its network, despite the fact that it is not an official iPhone carrier.

China Mobile, the world's largest mobile carrier by subscribers, has 10 million iPhone users even though it does not yet have an agreement with iPhone maker Apple, its chairman told Reuters on Monday.

Wang Jianzhou also said Apple had promised to make an iPhone compatible with China Mobile's TD-LTE standard when its next-generation model comes out. He could not say when this would happen.

With the iPhone incompatible with the TD-SCDMA 3G network used by China Mobile, the ten-million-user milestone comes even as users are limited to slower 2G network speeds.

China Unicom is currently the exclusive official iPhone carrier in China, although China Mobile and China Telecom have been working hard to strike deals to offer the device. Talks between Apple and China Mobile, the world's largest wireless carrier with over 600 million customers, have apparently been conducted at the highest levels, with Steve Jobs having been involved and Tim Cook even having been spotted at China Mobile's headquarters.

Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

Linchuankawa Avatar
179 months ago
I'm one of these 10 million china mobile customers who use iPhone on their 2g network..

And around my friends and families, there are about 15 of them using china mobile 2g, only less than 5 people got their iPhone through contract with china Unicom and have access to 3G network.

However this does not bother most people. China mobiles 2g network isn't that bad..The edge network is fast enough in doing emails and instant messaging, and its cheap.. I pay about 5 us dollars to get 300mb of data each month, it's more than enough.

Of course everyone would prefer a faster network. The real problem is that you cannot carry your phone number to other carriers. People like me have been using the same china mobile number for the past 10 years and I cannot afford to change. We had to purchase the iPhone handset separately.

So you can say there are 10 million customers waiting to see the real iPhone 5 comes with china mobile deal, and are all going to upgrade once it's available..

Steve is going to be happy to see this in heaven.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dodgerbluetx Avatar
179 months ago
Wonder how many of those are counterfeits.

:D
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chrmjenkins Avatar
179 months ago
Qualcomm's next generation LTE chip will support this LTE standard.

Hint hint.
Score: 0 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
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...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

Leaker Reveals Amount of RAM in iPhone 17 Through iPhone 17 Pro Max

Wednesday July 9, 2025 8:08 am PDT by
Three out of four iPhone 17 models will feature more RAM than the equivalent iPhone 16 models, according to a new leak that aligns with previous rumors. The all-new iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with 12GB of RAM, according to Fixed Focus Digital, an account with more than two million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...