China Mobile receives 'positive answer' from Apple on 4G LTE iPhone
The chairman of China Mobile, the largest wireless operator in the world, revealed this week that his company is hopeful it will collaborate with Apple to create a 4G LTE-capable iPhone model.
Chairman Wang Jianzhou said in an interview on Thursday that China Mobile has been in talks with Apple about producing a high-speed 4G iPhone, according to Bloomberg. The carrier has been working to launch its time-division long-term evolution, or TD-LTE, fourth-generation data network, and wants to see that Apple's iPhone is compatible.
"We discussed this issue with Apple," Wang reportedly said. "We hope Apple will produce a new iPhone with TD-LTE. We have already got a positive answer from Apple."
Currently, the iPhone is exclusive to China Unicom in the nation of over a billion people. But China Mobile is the largest prize, with more than 611 million subscribers.
The iPhone currently operates on 3G data speeds, but newer and faster 4G networks are spreading across the globe. Apple has publicly downplayed the prospect of embracing LTE technology in the iPhone in the near future, as first-generation LTE devices available on the market have been plagued with poor battery life, among other issues associated with the still-early technology.
In April, Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook indicated his company is in no rush to adopt 4G technology in its products. He admitted that Apple has explored LTE, but the company wasn't ready to make the jump with the launch of a CDMA Verizon iPhone in February.
Before Apple creates a TD-LTE iPhone for China Mobile, it will likely first introduce a 3G-capable model compatible with its unique homegrown network. Wang revealed on Thursday that there are more than 8.5 million iPhone users on China Mobile, but those using unlocked phones are restricted to the carrier's much slower second-generation network. Apple is rumored to release the its fifth-generation iPhone for China Mobile this year.
In March, Wang went on record as saying that Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs had "expressed interest in an LTE iPhone" and was willing to start development "at an early date." Wang also said in January that Apple has "made it clear" that future updates to the iPhone will support long-term evolution 4G technology.
Chairman Wang Jianzhou said in an interview on Thursday that China Mobile has been in talks with Apple about producing a high-speed 4G iPhone, according to Bloomberg. The carrier has been working to launch its time-division long-term evolution, or TD-LTE, fourth-generation data network, and wants to see that Apple's iPhone is compatible.
"We discussed this issue with Apple," Wang reportedly said. "We hope Apple will produce a new iPhone with TD-LTE. We have already got a positive answer from Apple."
Currently, the iPhone is exclusive to China Unicom in the nation of over a billion people. But China Mobile is the largest prize, with more than 611 million subscribers.
The iPhone currently operates on 3G data speeds, but newer and faster 4G networks are spreading across the globe. Apple has publicly downplayed the prospect of embracing LTE technology in the iPhone in the near future, as first-generation LTE devices available on the market have been plagued with poor battery life, among other issues associated with the still-early technology.
In April, Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook indicated his company is in no rush to adopt 4G technology in its products. He admitted that Apple has explored LTE, but the company wasn't ready to make the jump with the launch of a CDMA Verizon iPhone in February.
Before Apple creates a TD-LTE iPhone for China Mobile, it will likely first introduce a 3G-capable model compatible with its unique homegrown network. Wang revealed on Thursday that there are more than 8.5 million iPhone users on China Mobile, but those using unlocked phones are restricted to the carrier's much slower second-generation network. Apple is rumored to release the its fifth-generation iPhone for China Mobile this year.
In March, Wang went on record as saying that Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs had "expressed interest in an LTE iPhone" and was willing to start development "at an early date." Wang also said in January that Apple has "made it clear" that future updates to the iPhone will support long-term evolution 4G technology.
Comments
CHL is playing games with apple. They are acting like VZ did early on. VZ was hoping that the pseudo-javas would give the iPhone a run for it's money. CHL is trying the same tack. Prolonging, not making any deal, hoping another phone will click. I hope the next release of the iPhone creates a surge of interests at china telecom and china unicom that leaves china mobile gaping.
Apple is a perfectly good negotiator, so I trust that they will ensure that their interests are protected. Apple has, after all, been here (many times) before - dealing with smaller carriers and exerting pressure on the larger ones.
If Apple does design a one-off phone you can be sure that they will receive payment up front for the costs brought about by that phone, or agreements for a purchase of a certain amount regardless of sales (not that that would be a problem, but you put it in a contract anyway).
CHL is playing games with apple. They are acting like VZ did early on. VZ was hoping that the pseudo-javas would give the iPhone a run for it's money. CHL is trying the same tack. Prolonging, not making any deal, hoping another phone will click. I hope the next release of the iPhone creates a surge of interests at china telecom and china unicom that leaves china mobile gaping.
That sounds like an interesting theory. Not sure if it is close to the truth.
This is what we know, or at least what we have heard from Verizon. Apple approached them about the iPhone early on. They refused to comply with the terms Apple dictated and walked away. They developed iPhone envy when the product became massively successful and had regrets about their decision. All this is according to senior Verizon executives. Without the iPhone, of course they had to try and compete with Androids. I am tempted to say this is what gave Android the window of success. But chances are, even if Verizon did not adopt Android, carriers around the world would have. Apple's strategy of doing exclusive deals with a single carrier in multiple countries ensured Android's success.
Note that TD-LTE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH AMERICA'S 4G LTE.
TDD-LTE and FDD-LTE are both LTE standards and there are separated spectrum being allocated for both. so TDD-LTE would have market everywhere.