iPhone gets one step closer to China

Talks about how to bring the iPhone to China have moved from hard-line negotiations to the logistics phase, Reuters is reporting.

During an interview at the Worldwide Developers Conference, Jobs hinted to CNBC that Apple might soon add China to its list of countries where the iPhone will become available. But working out the details of exactly how that will happen hasn't been easy.

Now, talks with Chinese wireless carrier China Mobile have cleared their biggest hurdle, Apple's insistence on setting up a revenue-sharing agreement, according to Reuters. Apple has reportedly given up on that idea in favor of a model by which the carrier will subsidize the phone up-front, like the deal Apple now has with U.S. provider AT&T and the vast majority of its carrier partners around the world. That has allowed the two companies to move forward with plans and move on to working out the logistics. However, there is still no timetable for when the iPhone will be released there, a China Mobile spokeswoman told Reuters.

[nrlz]

Wasn't there a news article that said that millions of phones are unaccounted for and were probably being sold jail broken in the Asian markets?

[Kusiga]

Funny I know a couple people who bought iPhones while in the US but they live in China and use them there.

[thriftyT]

Time to revise those iPhone sales figures upwards.

[livecrunch]

That might not be bad idea yet it might take a while till that happens. I think it's unfair that some phones do not get to other countries.

http://www.livecrunch.com

[idannyb]

For what it?s worth, here area few notions on iPhone in China negotiations -
http://idannyb.wordpress.com/2008/06/28/iphone-3g-in-china-path-cleared-for-a-deal/

[billjin]

What I am afraid is:
1. China Mobile will remove the Wifi. So far all of the certified mobile phones in China, can't get out of it.
2. Now China Mobile's 3G standard is TD-SCDMA. WCDMA 3G doesn't work in China. So eventually, the 3G module could be removed.

So, finally, 3G removed, Wifi removed, who will be the idiot to buy it?