China: China Mobile`s 600 millions suscribers might get the next iphone ,this fall.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

China: China Mobile`s  600 millions suscribers might get the next iphone , this fall.

Apple and China Mobile are cooperating to introduce the  next iPhone 5  to its 600 millions subscribers in China.

Compatibility issues between the iPhone and China Mobile's 3G network mean that currently Apple's handsets only work on the much slower 2G service.

The problem could be resolved with the launch of the next iPhone, rumoured to happen this fall, and when China adopts the 4G standard, (2014) analysts say.

Even though the iPhone is not yet in China Mobile's official product line-up, about 15 million of the company's customers are thought to be iPhone users already, having bought the phone through different channels.

Despite being the biggest telecoms provider, China Mobile is the country's only operator that does not support the iPhone.

Officially offering the iPhone to its subscribers could help China Mobile to get back the consumers it has lost to other carriers.

China Mobile chairman Xi Guohua mentioned the ongoing discussions between the two firms at a shareholders meeting in Beijing.

"We've been actively talking to Apple on how we can cooperate," he said.

"I can't give you too many details, but I'd like to repeat that both sides do hope to boost our cooperation."

Move to 4G

But once the Chinese authorities approve the new LTE (Long Term Evolution) standard, a flavour of 4G, the incompatibility issue could be resolved.

"The only catch is when the government here will approve LTE; right now we see trial deployments but don't expect LTE to be deployed here until 2014 at the earliest,"

Summary:

If Apple wants to launch the iPhone 5 on China Mobile networks, this fall, the carrier have to make technical changes to allow the device run on 3G speeds at least.