China Mobile's iPhone Talks Have Included Steve Jobs

While reports have surfaced claiming that Apple and China Mobile have struck a deal to bring the iPhone to the world's largest mobile phone carrier, the two companies have yet to confirm that such a deal is in place. But according to a new report from Reuters, China Mobile chairman Wang Jianzhou has confirmed that those talks have included Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

The world's largest mobile operator by subscribers said it has met with Apple chief executive Steve Jobs several times on introducing an iPhone based on its home-grown TDSCDMA network standard.

The companies hope to launch an iPhone as soon as possible, China Mobile's Chairman Wang Jianzhou said, without giving any timeframe.

...

"I met Steve Jobs several times already, but we haven't come to an agreement yet," China Mobile's Wang told a news conference. "All I can say is, it's a common wish of China Mobile and Apple to come to an agreement as soon as possible."

Bloomberg also reports that Wang has confirmed that Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook's visit to China Mobile in June was regarding a potential iPhone deal.

white black iphone 4 china
The two companies have reportedly also already struck a deal to develop a future iPhone model based on China Mobile's homegrown 4G TD-LTE standard, a variant of the LTE standard that has been said to not be included in the iPhone 5.

China Unicom is currently the only official iPhone carrier in China, although both China Mobile and China Telecom are said to be working hard to strike deals for the device. China Unicom is apparently not sitting still on its current deal, however, as company executives have reportedly recently traveled to the United States to meet with Apple about the iPhone, potentially securing a deal for the upcoming iPhone 5.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple's CarPlay Ultra to Expand to These Vehicle Brands Later This Year

Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. In his Powe...
Apple Logo Black

Apple's Next Launch is 'Imminent'

Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models. "All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

New MacBook Pros Reportedly Launching Alongside macOS 26.3

Sunday February 1, 2026 5:42 am PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
We are still waiting for the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to come out, so the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week or two away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
14 inch MacBook Pro Keyboard

Apple Changes How You Order a Mac

Saturday January 31, 2026 10:51 am PST by
Apple recently updated its online store with a new ordering process for Macs, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. There used to be a handful of standard configurations available for each Mac, but now you must configure a Mac entirely from scratch on a feature-by-feature basis. In other words, ordering a new Mac now works much like ordering an...

Top Rated Comments

troop231 Avatar
189 months ago
If Apple releases an iPhone on China Mobile, Apple's marketshare is going to skyrocket.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hamean Avatar
189 months ago
Jobs is a driven guy. I'm not being critical - it's how he got Apple to where it is today.

I just hope he is not totally sacrificing his health by his continued active involvement in company affairs. I know someone else is supposed to be handling day-to-day operations - but Jobs still very involved.

I know it's his baby, but I'm not sure it's worth dying for.

He is who he is. He'll work until he can't, because he loves it. We all die some time. Staying active can help your mental approach when you are ill, and attitude is one of the most important factors in survival. Death is coming for us all.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
miles01110 Avatar
189 months ago
I wonder how much data Apple will be forced to share with the Chinese government.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mave1969 Avatar
189 months ago
Whats up with the status bar clock in those iphone images, China gets a different clock?
Um, I think you'll find those are, like, Chinese characters in front of the numbers.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gav2k Avatar
189 months ago
Hold on to your shares people there about to double!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
entatlrg Avatar
189 months ago
Jobs is a driven guy. I'm not being critical - it's how he got Apple to where it is today.

I just hope he is not totally sacrificing his health by his continued active involvement in company affairs. I know someone else is supposed to be handling day-to-day operations - but Jobs still very involved.

I know it's his baby, but I'm not sure it's worth dying for.

The man has my respect that's for sure.
Score: 0 Votes (Like | Disagree)