New iPhone compatible with China Telecom gains regulatory approval

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014


Apple has built a new version of the iPhone compatible with the third-largest wireless carrier in China, China Telecom, and the handset has already received regulatory approval.



Identified only by the model number A1387, the new iPhone, discovered by The Wall Street Journal, is compatible with CDMA-2000, the 3G network that China Telecom utilizes. The new iPhone 4S, set to debut in China on Friday, is not compatible with China Telecom's 3G network, despite the fact that the iPhone 4S is a "world phone."



The newly approved device is an indication that Apple plans to build a unique version of the iPhone to run on China Telecom's network. The company used a similar approach last year, when it built a special CDMA variant of the iPhone 4 to sell on the Verizon network in the U.S.



It's unknown whether the phone approved is a modified iPhone 4S, an iPhone 4, or even an iPhone 3GS. Apple continues to sell all three models at different price points around the world, but the iPhone 3GS is only compatible with GSM networks.



And because Apple and China Telecom haven't yet announced a deal to bring the iPhone to the carrier, the timetable for a launch is unknown. The A1387 handset has been approved by China's Radio Management agency, but other certifications, including a network license, are necessary before the handset can go on sale.











For now, the iPhone remains exclusive to China Unicom, which plans to offer heavy subsidies on the iPhone 4S when it goes on sale this Friday. Customers will be able to get the handset for free if they sign a multi-year service contract.



For Apple, the big prize remains China Mobile, which is the single largest wireless carrier in the world. The two companies are said to have been in talks for years, but the iPhone remains incompatible with the carrier's homegrown 3G network.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3893



    It's interesting to note that Apple previously produced custom China versions of both the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS although the major difference was simply WiFi being disabled.
  • Reply 2 of 7
    freerangefreerange Posts: 1,597member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ltcommander.data View Post


    http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3893



    It's interesting to note that Apple previously produced custom China versions of both the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS although the major difference was simply WiFi being disabled.



    WiFI being disabled was only in the first 2 generations of iPhones in China. WiFi was later added, but in a custom format exclusive to China requiring a different radio chip - it is China's homegrown version which is mandated by the Chinese government. Therefore ALL iPhones sold in China (with the exception of gray market phones) are in fact "custom" phones. Further, there are specific OS / software customizations like no integration with YouTube out of the box, Google maps are mostly in Chinese (versus a US version of the phone shows chinese maps in english), etc.
  • Reply 3 of 7
    801801 Posts: 271member
    But do you think it will sell?
  • Reply 4 of 7
    herbapouherbapou Posts: 2,228member
    You guys saw the new iPhone Q4 US market shares, massive turn-around: Apple jump 26% and Android tank . Almost too good to be truth actually.







    The news is not AI yet or did I miss it?



    http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/01/...azines_fortune
  • Reply 5 of 7
    herbapouherbapou Posts: 2,228member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 801 View Post


    But do you think it will sell?



    I think the fact the amount is going to be spread for 3 years and the sale price is 0 is going to help a lot in this market. I don't see a better way to sell them in china.
  • Reply 6 of 7
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by herbapou View Post


    You guys saw the new iPhone Q4 US market shares, massive turn-around: Apple jump 26% and Android tank . Almost too good to be truth actually.







    The news is not AI yet or did I miss it?



    http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/01/...azines_fortune



    I still don't expect for Apple to lead the smartphone OS marketshare growth YoY. The holiday quarter was Apple's first quarter for the iPhone 4S, and after an additional quarter of waiting, so there was bound to be a nice surge for Apple.



    YoY iOS for iPhone should still be lower than Android OS due to the obvious fact that Android is used by so many vendors. When you look at iOS in general it could very well trump Android OS as Android only seems to have a benefit with subsidized devices which means smartphones. Carriers have tried to subsidized netbooks and tablets but that hasn't' worked out so well.



    Overall, this means little since it's profits that make all the difference. While Apple's position is set for years to come it's looking like Samsung will be set, too. This could allow Samsung to fork Android and/or create their own set of apps and/or Android for Samsung app store that could irrevocably hurt Google and all the other vendors trying to use Android. Just like Mac OS X is Apple's OS it's built from an open BSD UNIX base, Samsung could make their own private OS that's built off an open Android OS base.



    If MS can't get WP7 in the game we could end up with two basic OSes for our smartphones, PMPs, tablets, TVs, and other devices in their post-PC era.
  • Reply 7 of 7
    stelligentstelligent Posts: 2,680member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by herbapou View Post


    You guys saw the new iPhone Q4 US market shares, massive turn-around: Apple jump 26% and Android tank . Almost too good to be truth actually.







    The news is not AI yet or did I miss it?



    http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/01/...azines_fortune



    Interesting. But, IMO, Android v. iOS is over, and no longer relevant, significant or even logical. To compare them is to mislead. They are diverging entities. One is a pseudo-open platform for mobile OS development and a foundation for multiple OSes. The other is a tightly regulated OS for a tightly designed lineup of mobile products.



    It's really more about Samsung v. Apple now.
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