China Mobile is believed to have signed a long-awaited deal with Apple and it seems that the Chinese wireless carrier is getting very serious with the partnership as some of its stores are already displaying Apple promotional signage.
Apple launched and released the latest iPhone 5s and the budget iPhone 5c in September this year and the handsets have already hit the markets in North America, Europe and some other parts of the world. Rumors also suggest that the latest Apple offerings will soon be available in China via the country's biggest wireless operator China Mobile, which boasts of over 700 million subscribers.
Per reports, Apple and China Mobile have already signed a deal. China Mobile is expected to start its 4G services from mid-December and rumors suggest that the carrier will start offering the latest iPhones around nearly the same time. However, China Mobile has not yet officially confirmed its plans to offer iPhones in the near term.
Nonetheless, it seems that Chinese consumers are very near to laying their hands on the iPhones as some of China Mobile's stores have already started showing off the Apple smartphone.
"I walked by a China Mobile store (Link City in Shenzhen's Futian district) on my way to dinner tonight and lo and behold, there were not only (a lot of) iPhone advertisements but also actual iPhones and iPads on display. This was a first," per PRC and Me.
"Advertisements on the wall showed what I believe to be discount pricing (probably with contract) of 4380元 ($723) for the iPhone 5s and 3380元 ($558) for the 5c. Of the two display tables in the store, one was dedicated to iPhones and iPads and there was a pretty good crowd around the table as I passed by. Not only were there Apple advertisements all over the place, but even Phil Schiller was present, his A7 chip announcement playing on a flatscreen TV," added PRC and Me.
China is one of the biggest economies in the world and many customers will be happy to pay for the iPhone 5s, which has a premium price. Analysts suggest that in 2014, Apple may be able to sell around 38 million iPhones in China and a deal with China Mobile will help add additional $10 billion to Apple's coffers.
