Wi-Fi Capable iPhone 3GS Set to Launch in China Next Week

[MacRumors]

The Wall Street Journal reports that China Unicom will begin selling Wi-Fi enabled iPhone models in that country beginning next week. The news comes a government regulatory body approved the device's frequency ranges in early May, but at the time the company was still waiting to receive a network access license in order to begin sales.

China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd. plans to start selling a version of Apple Inc.'s iPhone with Wi-Fi capability in China next week, a China Unicom official familiar with the situation said Thursday.

The iPhones that Unicom has offered in China so far have come with the wireless function disabled to comply with previous government regulations, but the missing function has made the phones less attractive to buyers.

The Associated Press confirms the report, adding that the Wi-Fi capable device will be Apple's new 8 GB iPhone 3GS and it will go on sale on Monday.

Unicom will sell eight-gigabyte iPhones with third-generation service and Wi-Fi throughout China starting Monday, a company spokesman, Wen Baoqiu, said Friday.

Apple and China Unicom have been rumored to be finalizing a deal to bring the iPhone 4 and iPad to China, but no official announcements have been made.

Article Link: Wi-Fi Capable iPhone 3GS Set to Launch in China Next Week

 

[EllieV]

Lol, it's called an iPod Touch

I would LOVE a Wi-Fi capable iPhone 4, 3GS would be nice too. (so according to rumors, the iPod Touch may be better than 3GS..... hmmmm [facetime, etc.)

 

[ModestForumName]

Late much???

 

[124151155]

I must have missed something. China previously would not allow Wi-Fi on iPhones?

Did they disable it on the device or is the hardware different, and it does not include a Wi-Fi chip?

 

[microcolt]

I must have missed something. China previously would not allow Wi-Fi on iPhones?

Did they disable it on the device or is the hardware different, and it does not include a Wi-Fi chip?

http://gizmodo.com/5054599/chinese-iphone-3g-wont-have-3g-or-wi+fi

And how the heck do you remember your username?

 

[124151155]

Wow, I never knew this!

124151155 is my name in octal
I use it because the username is always available

 

[Stink Star]

Damn communists

 

[microcolt]

Wow, I never knew this!

124151155 is my name in octal
I use it because the username is always available

Well good thing you didn't do it in binary or md5... lol.

 

[tlove]

I used to get pissed off when you guys would get the new Super Mario game months/years before us in the states. Payback is a bitch.

 

[Arcady]

I used to get pissed off when you guys would get the new Super Mario game months/years before us in the states. Payback is a bitch.

You know that China and Japan are two different countries, right?

 

[maus]

How come they're only getting the 3GS and not the 4?

 

[Hisdem]

How come they're only getting the 3GS and not the 4?

Timing I assume. South America for example won't have the 4 until at least next month or October.

 

[124151155]

How come they're only getting the 3GS and not the 4?

Limited supply is also a factor. Despite the antenna issue, demand for the i4 is still pretty high.

 

[Corbin052198]

I used to get pissed off when you guys would get the new Super Mario game months/years before us in the states. Payback is a bitch.

You know that China and Japan are two different countries, right?

Japan = Nintendo, Sony
China = Everything else, including Apple stuff

 

[zespolna]

Every technical novelty is selling in China with some latency - in comparison with West countries. But this will change in the near future - China will be the biggest technical market soon and all companies will compete who will be selling in China first.

 

[Kfcbill]

Lots of people buying iphone 4 in Hong Kong are selling back to China with a fairly good price.

 

[yankintx]

You know that China and Japan are two different countries, right?

Heheheh I bet he didn't know that!