In a country where the leading wireless operator has over 350 million subscribers (more than the entire population of the US), China is a dream wireless market for handset vendors. So, is it any wonder that we keep hearing about China Mobile and Apple?
We have to wonder, were Apple and China Mobile ever in negotiations to bring the iPhone to China? Well, some reports indicate that the talks were called-off because China Mobile was not willing to agree to Apple’s revenue-sharing model. Others say that Apple and China Mobile were never actively negotiating an iPhone deal – with no more than a single meeting. And, now we’re hearing that China Mobile is still seriously considering bringing the iPhone to China. “We have not yet officially begun talks with Apple over the iPhone problem,” according to China Mobile CEO Wang Jianzhou.
But, there are some problems. The iPhone’s $500 price tag is still more than double the average Chinese worker’s monthly salary, and the revenue sharing model that Apple is so hell-bent on making every iPhone carrier agree to could be a renewed (or new, depending on who’s telling the truth) point of contention.
We’ll see if Apple can crack the Chinese wireless market without having to rely on smuggled, unlocked iPhones.
[Via: Mobile Crunch]