Apple gets Wi-Fi-enabled iPhone approved in China, but not iPhone 4

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
A new version of the iPhone with Wi-Fi was recently given a limited network access license in China, though the approved device is not the iPhone 4.



Apple's struggles to put a Wi-Fi-enabled iPhone on sale in China continue, as The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that the nation's Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center had given approval last week. But the accompanying picture shows a device that is either the iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS, and clearly not the redesigned iPhone 4.



The report noted that the license means that a Wi-Fi-capable iPhone could go on sale in China soon. Since the device went on sale last year, it has not included Wi-Fi, due to a temporary ban on the standard by the Chinese government. That ban was relaxed in May 2009, after manufacturing of the iPhone began.



In May of this year, Chinese regulators approved a new iPhone with WAP, or WLAN Authentication Privacy Infrastructure. WAPI is a natively created Chinese security protocol for wireless Internet access. However, the device never went on sale.



For months, China Unicom is said to have been in talks with Apple to sell the Wi-Fi-enabled phone. The addition is considered to be an extremely important move for Apple in the Chinese market, as users wish to avoid relying on expensive data plans for their handset.



The lack of Wi-Fi, along with a relatively high price and booming black market, were cited as reasons for a slow start in sales through China Unicom.







Despite the fact that the approval does not show the iPhone 4, recent reports have indicated that Apple is currently in talks with China Unicom to bring its latest handset to the nation of over one billion. Apple is also said to be partnering with Founder, a China-based PC maker, to distribute the iPad and provide localized content, such as Chinese e-books.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 17
    bartfatbartfat Posts: 434member
    So now it's back to the black market, where iPhone 4's are sold aplenty non-crippled with lame WiFi restrictions.
  • Reply 2 of 17
    lilgto64lilgto64 Posts: 1,147member
    So does "WAPI is a natively created Chinese security protocol for wireless Internet access." mean that they want to have their own protocols to protect against foreign interests? or perhaps more likely so that the government has the keys to tap into anyone's data stream?
  • Reply 3 of 17
    cvaldes1831cvaldes1831 Posts: 1,832member
    They created their own WiFi standard so that they don't have to pay royalties to Western corporations. They did a similar thing with their cellular standards.
  • Reply 4 of 17
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Clearly, Apple hasn't found the right Communist Party member to bribe yet.
  • Reply 5 of 17
    abster2coreabster2core Posts: 2,501member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cvaldes1831 View Post


    They created their own WiFi standard so that they don't have to pay royalties to Western corporations. They did a similar thing with their cellular standards.



    Not any different than major corporations that create their own so not to pay royalties to their competitors.



    Unlike how governments, including the US, didn't allow foreign-made communication devices/equipment in their countries in the early days.
  • Reply 6 of 17
    ivan.rnn01ivan.rnn01 Posts: 1,822member
  • Reply 7 of 17
    abster2coreabster2core Posts: 2,501member
    Double posting removed
  • Reply 8 of 17
    successsuccess Posts: 1,040member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ivan.rnn01 View Post






    Demonic looking SJ with mini black monolith in hand. Great.



    BTW, notice how Steve is holding it. That's how he wants us to make calls with it.
  • Reply 9 of 17
    ivan.rnn01ivan.rnn01 Posts: 1,822member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by success View Post


    Demonic looking SJ with mini black monolith in hand. Great.



    ... while bribing the high-ranked Communist Party member. Savvy.



    Quote:

    BTW, notice how Steve is holding it. That's how he wants us to make calls with it.



    Apparently, he's a lefty, isn't he?
  • Reply 10 of 17
    coolcatcoolcat Posts: 156member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ivan.rnn01 View Post






    Wow Jobs looks like hell in this picture!
  • Reply 11 of 17
    ivan.rnn01ivan.rnn01 Posts: 1,822member
  • Reply 12 of 17
    libertyforalllibertyforall Posts: 1,418member
    No surprise with Communists...
  • Reply 13 of 17
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post


    Clearly, Apple hasn't found the right Communist Party member to bribe yet.



    Well, he solved that problem with the G.O.P. and the Democrats, didn't he? So I'm condident he'll find the right Chinese Communist Party member to bribe too.

    It may be less easy in Europe, India and Latin America while they have better functioning democracies.
  • Reply 14 of 17
    29922992 Posts: 202member
    "[...]WAP, or WLAN Authentication Privacy Infrastructure.[...]"



    AI, it's WAPI, with "I", WAPI, review yr article. Again: W A P I, not WAP.

    WAP is something else.
  • Reply 15 of 17
    anakin1992anakin1992 Posts: 283member
    show us how democracies make bribing less easy?



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rokcet Scientist View Post


    Well, he solved that problem with the G.O.P. and the Democrats, didn't he? So I'm condident he'll find the right Chinese Communist Party member to bribe too.

    It may be less easy in Europe, India and Latin America while they have better functioning democracies.



  • Reply 16 of 17
    successsuccess Posts: 1,040member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ivan.rnn01 View Post


    ... while bribing the high-ranked Communist Party member. Savvy.





    Apparently, he's a lefty, isn't he?



    Btw, if you hold the phone in your left (like me) that means you're a righty!!! Not the opposite way around!!! Why? Because you use your right finger for typing!!!!



    Magazine in my left, schlong in my right. Basic logic!!!
  • Reply 17 of 17
    ivan.rnn01ivan.rnn01 Posts: 1,822member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by success View Post


    Btw, if you hold the phone in your left (like me) that means you're a righty!!! Not the opposite way around!!! Why? Because you use your right finger for typing!!!!



    Magazine in my left, schlong in my right. Basic logic!!!



    Ummm. Gotta trust you...

    I'm a Righty, but I rather hold phones in my right hand and use my right thumb to click their touch screens.

    I even pay a bunch of my attention to rearranging app icons on iPhone screen to be specifically able to operate it with only my right thumb.



    P.S. It's a long date debate in Mac community whether Steve is a Righty or a Lefty.
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