iPhone China Mobile: Why a Deal Might Be Coming Sooner Than You Think

iPhone China Mobile: In the last few days, there have been rumors about a partnership between China Mobile Ltd. (ADR) (NYSE:CHLand Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) to sell the new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c in the Chinese market. Recent appearances of China Mobile’s online posters announcing the new devices pre-confirm a deal between the biggest Chinese carrier and Apple.

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Credit Photo: Apple

After a long-lasting negotiation between China Mobile and the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the firm has obtained permission to operate the TD-LTE band, a necessary step to begin commercializing iPhones in the country. The achievement allows China Mobile to operate 4G technologies in the biggest smartphone market in the world and potentially capture some of the more than 740 million smartphone users here. According to reliable sources close to Chinese authorities, the service will be ready as soon as early November 2014.

For many years, the Chinese market has been dominated by smartphones, particularly provided for companies such as Samsung Electronics Co. (KOSPI:005930) and Lenovo Group Ltd. (HKSE:0992), including Android’s platform.

In this way, if China Mobile begins to offer a version of the latest iPhone, it can solidify its spot as the No. 1 carrier in the country, over China Unicom (Hong Kong) Limited (ADR) (NYSE:CHU) and China Telecom Corporation Limited (ADR) (NYSE:CHA). Check back here for more updates on the iPhone and China Mobile.

Disclosure: Saul Rodriguez holds no position in any of the mentioned stocks.

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