If it’s a day that ends in a “y”, then its likely the status of the Apple / China Mobile talks has changed! On again/off again seems to be on again, with reports now saying the obstacles have been hurdled, the chasm bridged, the bamboo curtain rolled up to let in some sun.
But can China Mobile beat competitor China Unicom, or even the massive gray market, to the punch?
Only time, and probably a bazillion more flip flops, will tell.
China might just be getting itself some iPhones! Oh, sure, there are already tons of iPhones in China — almost a cottage industry of them — but this time we’re talking official from Apple, no unlock needed, spiffy new iPhone 3Gs. In China.
Not from China Mobile, who’s off again, off again relationship with Apple is well documented, but from competitor China Unicom. Maybe even by August!
Hen Hao!
A huge territory with a massive subscriber base, China was one of the few countries not announced by Apple as part of the 70+ at WWDC. If true, only Russia and a few others (looking at you, Antarctica!) would stand between Apple and total global domination… (or at least market presence!)
During our last regularly scheduled podcast, we received an dispatch from Hong Kong written by one Janric. We already knew that there were somewhere in the neighborhood of 400,000 unlocked iPhones in China alone, and Janric confirmed that you can’t walk down a Hong Kong alley without tripping over somebody that has one:
I just want to comment out on the news about the 400K iPhones that are loose in china. I’m based in Hong Kong and it’s no secret that you can buy the iphone here almost anywhere. The iPhone is such a hit here that I can almost see 1 iPhone per day (excluding mine ofcourse). In my office alone, there are about 5 unlocked iPhones in use.
Don’t believe it? Check out these photos that Janric snapped in an area of Causeway Bay - just a random two block stroll:
We’ve heard firsthand reports that it’s pretty much the same situation on the opposite side of the planet (Sweden) as well. So basically it’s as easy to get an unlocked iPhone in areas Apple hasn’t made official yet as it is to get a locked-up one in the official zones. If Apple wants to get their preferred revenue sharing going in these places, they need to step up the pace of worldwide releases.
Thanks, Janric!
  
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The iPhone Blog merged with the Phone different site in May of 2008. Both sites were founded on a premise that comes one from one of Apple's old slogans: Think different. The iPhone Blog: for people who dare to phone different.
