14 DAY TRIAL // Apple’s iPhone business stands to gain millions of new adopters in the Far East, if the company’s invitations to a September 11 event in China are any indication.
Sent out not only to US and European journalists, but also to Chinese reporters, Apple’s invitations to the now-confirmed September event suggest a deal has gone through with China Mobile.
Apple and China Mobile have been discussing a potential partnership for years, but technical and marketing roadblocks have prevented the duo from reaching an agreement. Until now, according to the latest chatter in the Apple blogosphere.
Many believe Apple’s Chinese-language media invitations to the separate September 11 event stand as clear evidence that the Cupertino giant has struck a deal to deploy its new iPhones onto the operator’s 700+ million subscriber network. The Chinese media gathering will be hosted at Beijing's World Trade Center.
Apple is said to heavily rely on its first-ever low-cost iPhone – the iPhone 5C – to boost iOS adoption worldwide. A potential deal with China Mobile will undoubtedly deal a blow to Android’s market share.
Update: article updated to clarify that Apple is hosting a separate media event in China.