14 DAY TRIAL // Apple and China Mobile have finally signed an agreement to distribute the iPhone to the 700+ million subscribers on the operator’s network starting this month.
A person who is reportedly familiar with the situation tells the Wall Street Journal that “China Mobile Ltd. has signed a long-awaited deal with Apple Inc. to offer iPhones on its network [...] an arrangement that would give the U.S. technology giant a big boost in the world's largest mobile market.”
The rollout is expected to occur weeks later, as China Mobile has already said it will start offering iPhones only after introducing 4G services. The launch even is scheduled for December 18, so China Mobile iPhones won’t be available until then.
It is unclear which models will be sold by the operator, but it’s likely that the carrier will be distributing only the newest versions (iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s).