14 DAY TRIAL // A post on Weibo stemming from China Telecom confirms the existence of Apple’s two upcoming iPhone upgrades, the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C.
Asian media outlets are reporting on a presumed blunder on behalf of the Chinese wireless operator, which reportedly spilled the beans on Apple’s upcoming iPhone refresh next week.
China Telecom’s Beijing customer service Weibo account tweeted the following message, according to TechInAsia.
“China has been chosen as [the/a]* first country where the iPhone 5S/5C will be shipped! Weibo preorder time! If you want to be one of the people who gets a handset on day one, click: . Those who successfully preorder will also enjoy a high-end gift bag. (Because the iPhone products haven’t actually shipped yet, detailed numbers and actual shipping information [may change].”
A Sina post picked up by 9to5mac suggests that Apple indeed plans to ship the devices on September 20, while Chinese retailer Dixintong will reportedly begin carrying the refreshed handsets on September 25.
It’s certainly not breaking news, since the two phones had already been confirmed thanks to the various leaks making the rounds on tech blogs and in several YouTube videos.
A report by the Wall Street Journal also mentions the two handsets, though not with such degree of certainty.
The biggest confirmation that these new handsets are arriving in China soon after launch probably comes from Apple itself.
Earlier this week, the company released press invitations for two media events, one falling on September 10 in the United States, the other on September 11 in China.
However, the biggest wireless operator in the country, China Mobile, remains (understandably) mum on a potential deal with Apple to carry the new iPhones for its 700+ million subscribers.
After negotiating for years to create a profitable plan for both parties, Apple and China Mobile are finally in bed together, according to recent chatter in the mobile industry.
Since this deal is so important, neither Apple nor China Mobile can afford to spoil the surprise.