Ondrej Holzman The long-awaited agreement is finally here. Apple and China Mobile have just confirmed that they have agreed to a long-term partnership. The new iPhone 5S and 5C will go on sale on China's largest mobile network on January 17…
The final signatures, which cemented the cooperation between the largest mobile operator and the iPhone manufacturer, were preceded by months and years of speculation and negotiations. However, they are now finally over and Apple CEO Tim Cook can tick off one big task.
China Mobile has announced that the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C will go on sale on its new 4G network on January 17. This suddenly opens up space for Apple to reach more than 700 million users served by China Mobile. Just for comparison, for example, the American operator AT&T, which held exclusivity for the sale of iPhones in the first years, has 109 million customers in its network. That's a huge difference.
One of the reasons why China Mobile did not offer iPhones until now was the absence of support for this operator's network on the part of Apple phones. However, the latest iPhones introduced this fall have already received full support and the necessary regulatory approvals.
“Apple's iPhone is loved by millions of customers around the world. We know there are a lot of China Mobile customers and a lot of potential new customers who can't wait for the incredible combination of iPhone and China Mobile's leading network. We are pleased that the iPhone offered by China Mobile will support 4G/TD-LTE and 3G/TD-SCDMA networks, guaranteeing customers the fastest mobile services,” said Xi Guohua, chairman of China Mobile, in a press release.
Tim Cook also commented with joy on the new agreement, the executive director of Apple realizes how crucial the giant Chinese market is for Apple. “Apple has great respect for China Mobile and we are excited to start working together. China is an extremely important market for Apple,” Cook wrote in a press release. "iPhone users in China are a passionate and rapidly growing group, and I can think of no better way to welcome them in the Chinese New Year than to offer an iPhone to every China Mobile customer who wants one."
According to analysts' forecasts, Apple should sell millions of iPhones through China Mobile. Piper Jaffray calculates 17 million potential sales, Brian Marshall of ISI claims that sales could even attack the 39 million mark next year.
