02/13, 9:35am
Could signal escalation in Apple vs. Proview
Officials in the Chinese city of Shijiazhuang raided an unnamed Apple reseller over the weekend, reports claim. In all 45 iPad 2s are said to have been confiscated; despite the limited scope of the raid, Chinese news sources indicate that a number of other vendors have decided to hide their iPad stock rather than risk losing it. Shoppers should nevertheless still be able to buy iPad 2s from official and unofficial sources in the city.
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02/08, 3:15pm
Could coincide with iPad refresh
A Chinese version of Siri will launch next month, claims DoNews. The website quotes an Apple engineer said to be working on the project, who adds that the technology is already in internal testing, and will moreover be able to process information and navigation requests, something only US Siri users currently enjoy. General language support has so far been restricted to three different English accents, as well as French and German.
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02/07, 11:20am
Apology, iPad embargo among demands
A lawyer for Proview Shenzhen, Xie Xianghui, is claiming that a court in the Xicheng district of Beijing is prepared to "slap Apple with a 240 million yuan ($38 million) fine," according to the Global Times. The Xicheng district administration, though, is refusing to comment. "It is still under investigation, so no official comments on the case can be made yet," a media officer with the administration states. The China Daily meanwhile quotes Xie as also demanding an apology, and an injunction against the sale and marketing of iPads in China.
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02/06, 12:05pm
Company uses 'men as machines,' person complains
Foxconn treats "men as machines," according to a worker newly interviewed by CNN. The woman is identified an 18-year-old student from a village near the southern city of Chongqing, using the pseudonym "Chen" because she says Foxconn tells workers not to talk to reporters or else "criminal liability shall be investigated according to law." Because she was a college student with no work experience, Chen says she was eager to take a one-month position at Foxconn during the Spring Festival, having been promised things like good benefits and little overtime.
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02/03, 3:15pm
Some sales methods still restricted
Apple has reopened online sales of the iPhone 4S on the Chinese mainland, says China Daily. The option actually became available again on Wednesday local time, but customers wanting to buy a 4S may still be waiting for weeks. The Chinese storefront mentions an expected delivery date of "February," while a phone sales staffer tells the Daily that "If you pay today, you might get the items tomorrow, and no later than March 2." Orders are restricted to two devices per person.
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02/03, 1:35pm
Info stems from meeting with Apple execs
Apple is likely uninterested in building a MacBook Air with an ARM-based processor, says Citigroup's Richard Gardner. The analyst met with Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer at the company's Cupertino campus on Thursday, when among other things Cook repeated a view that iOS expansion will eventually result in tablets outselling conventional PCs. "We have wondered whether Apple might offer an ARM-based version of the MacBook Air at some point; we walked away from this meeting with the impression that Apple feels iPad satisfies -- or will soon satisfy -- the needs of those who might have been interested in such a product," writes Gardner in a new memo.
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01/31, 8:35pm
Counterfeit battery pack cases to be destroyed
Two online petitions that look to address issues around claims of factory worker abuse among the Chinese suppliers of Apple and other electronics firms have been launched online, while accessory maker Mophie has won a case against a counterfeit case producer in Texas.
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01/31, 2:20pm
Five factories in works for Brazil
(Updated with denial of Brazilian plans) Foxconn is planning to build five extra factories in Brazil, according to São Paulo's Secretary of Planning and Development of the State, Julio Semeghini. Each is expected to be manned by about 1,000 workers, and produce iPads, notebooks, and general electronics. The actual locations of the factories have yet to be decided, although São Paulo is claimed to be campaigning heavily.
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01/30, 11:20am
Customers must provide full ID
Apple Hong Kong is taking stricter measures in a bid to cope with iPhone scalpers. A page on the company's online store now presents a lottery system for iPhone buyers, preventing them from using bots to make online reservations as soon as new phones are available. The iPhone 4 and 4S are no longer available to walk-in buyers at the company's Hong Kong retail store.
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01/30, 10:15am
Number hinges on China Mobile compatibility
Apple will likely sign iPhone deals with both China Telecom and China Mobile "over the next year," adding up to 40 million more iPhone sales in 2013, argues Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty. The iPhone is already available on China Unicom, but Huberty suggests that the carrier can only offer Apple 10 percent of a group of about 150 million "high-end Chinese subscribers," those being people who pay more than 100RMB ($16) per month. Of that selection, about 120 million are said to be with China Mobile, and a remaining 10 percent with China Telecom.
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01/25, 6:45am
Tim Cook says China demand 'off the charts'
Apple CEO Tim Cook admitted during yesterday’s Q4 conference call that it “Didn’t bet high enough” on the overwhelming Chinese appetite for its flagship iPhone 4S. According to Bloomberg, Cook said that Apple thought that it had been “betting bold,” but the reality was that it “didn’t bet high enough.” Without revealing specific numbers for Q4, Cook said during the call that demand for the iPhone 4S was “off the charts.”
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01/20, 9:35am
Paves way for first China Telecom iPhone
China Telecom has taken a step closer to getting the iPhone for the first time, the Wall Street Journal reports. An unspecified iPhone model has just received a CDMA-2000 network access license from China's Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center, clearing another hurdle for sale. Telecom operates a CDMA network, but the only mainland Chinese iPhone carrier at the moment is China Unicom, which like most iPhone carriers worldwide is GSM-based.
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01/12, 1:05pm
Goes on sale at 12:01AM local time
The five Apple Stores in mainland China are seeing hundreds of people in line for the iPhone 4S, reports say. The phone will officially launch in the region on January 13th, three months after its initial rollout in the US and a host of other countries. Apple's Chinese outlets are divided between two in Beijing and three in Shanghai, as well as a lone Hong Kong location. The last city has had the 4S since early November.
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01/09, 11:30am
Early step towards Telecom sales of iPhone 4S
The China Radio Management agency has approved an iPhone compatible with carrier China Telecom, the Wall Street Journal reports. The device is officially identified only by a model number, A1387, but is listed as CDMA-2000 compatible. The standard is the same used by Telecom and many other CDMA carriers around the world, such as Sprint and Verizon.
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01/06, 11:00am
Carrier takes aggressive approach
National carrier China Unicom will be giving the away iPhone 4S on some multi-year contracts, Bloomberg reports. When the 4S launches in mainland China on January 13th, a 16GB model will be free on a two-year contract costing a minimum of 386 yuan a month. Getting a free 32GB model will require a three-year contract, but at a cheaper minimum of 286 yuan per month.
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01/05, 12:40pm
Parallels Black Friday offerings in US
As promised, Apple has launched special Lunar New Year online sales in a handful of countries. These are notably similar to the company's Black Friday deals in the US, which were modest in scope. At the Hong Kong Apple Store, for instance, Apple is offering about 8 percent off Wi-Fi iPads, or 6 to 7 percent off 3G models.
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01/05, 12:00pm
Claims copying Jobs' likeness may be criminal
Apple is threatening to sue Hong Kong company InIcons over its Steve Jobs figure, says UK newspaper The Telegraph. The product is set to go on sale next month for $100, and copy many details of Jobs' signature look, from facial features down to his sneakers. Apple, though, is reportedly claiming in a letter to InIcons that it has the rights to Jobs' likeness, along with more standard likenesses such as logos, products, and names.
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01/03, 9:20am
Limited to handful of countries
Apple is running a special Lunar New Year promotion on Friday, January 6th, the company has announced. In China and Hong Kong, as well as Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and the Philippines, people will be able to visit local Apple online stores for rare first-party discounts. As with the company's Black Friday sale, though, no prices are being advertised ahead of time.
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12/27, 11:50am
Phone fully certified for Chinese launch
The iPhone 4S should ship to mainland China no later than the Chinese New Year on January 23rd, according to state-run newspaper the People's Daily. The phone is said to have won China Compulsory Certification on December 21st, clearing the last hurdle for sales by Apple and carrier China Unicom. The Daily specifically suggests that the 4S will ship "at the beginning of January 2012," and be on the market in time for the New Year holiday.
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12/26, 12:45pm
$1.1 billion expansion may do other phones as well
Although the Foxconn factory in Zhengzhou (the capital of the inland Henan province) was only opened earlier this year, company officials in coordination with government authorities are planning a massive $1.1 billion expansion that would double the manufacturing output, according to a report from China Daily. The expansion would increase daily production of iPhones to 400,000 and would be the world's largest such facility when completed.
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12/21, 4:55pm
Streak Pro coming to China with Baidu Yi OS
Best known for its computers and monitors, Dell has just announced it will soon offer its Streak Pro smartphone in China, a key market for the company. Already promised for the Japanese market, the device is the first with the Baidu Yi mobile platform from China's Internet search giant Baidu. It integrates the popular Ting music service and other cloud services also offered by the search engine.
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12/20, 2:35pm
Similarities drawn to Foxconn incident
A December 17th explosion at a Pegatron-owned planet in Shanghai was connected to aluminum dust generated while polishing iPad shells, says a group called China Labor Watch. Aluminum dust is known to highly combustible, and CLW suggests that the blast on the 17th was similar to an accident at a Foxconn plant in May, which the company blamed on "combustible dust."
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12/07, 11:20am
Settlement with Apple likely resolution
Fresh off a successful defense against a related Apple lawsuit, Proview Technology is trying to block iPad sales by suing Apple resellers in southern China, says the Financial Times. Currently Proview is targeting vendors in Shenzhen and Huizhou. "We are starting with these two cities, and if we are successful in getting iPad sales stopped, we will consider going after Apple resellers elsewhere in China," says Xie Xianghui, a lawyer working with Grandall, one of the lawfirms acting on behalf of Proview.
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12/05, 11:30pm
Uses content from two of China's social networks
Aggregate RSS and social-network reader for the iPad Flipboard is opting to customize its first international edition for China, The Wall Street Journal reports. The Chinese version of Flipboard will add content from two of China's largest social networks, a Twitter-like micro-blogging site called Weibo and the country's largest social-networking site, Renren.
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11/30, 4:25pm
Government permit only remaining step
China Unicom is effectively ready to sell the iPhone 4S, according to MIC Gadget. "We will start sales once we get the certificate from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology," Unicom sales executive Yu Yingtao is quoted as saying. "It's not up to us. We've already done all of our preparations, we're just waiting on the permit."
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11/29, 11:25pm
Device represents alternative to S2
Lenovo has introduced yet another Android-based handset, the LePhone S760, which was unveiled today alongside the LePhone S2. The device integrates a single-core 1GHz processor, stepping down from the S2's 1.4GHz chip, though the 3.7-inch display is an AMOLED panel rather than a standard LCD. Both phones share a similar form, aside from the glossy backside featured on the S760.
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11/18, 9:35am
Could cut down on piracy, hacked bank accounts
Apple has opened up the Chinese App Store to payments using Chinese bank cards based on the yuan, a support document shows. The store previously only allowed payments with credit cards supporting US dollars. Using bank cards, Chinese can add money to an iTunes account in preset amounts, an option not available in countries like the US; in China, though, such prepayments are commonplace.
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11/16, 9:45am
NGOs split on outcome of event
On Tuesday, Apple met five Chinese environmental groups at its Beijing offices in order to talk supplier pollution problems, reports observe. The event is said to have lasted three and a half hours, and been attended by five Apple representatives as well as nine representatives from the environmental NGOs. The latter, however, are split on whether the outcome of the event was beneficial.
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11/11, 2:40pm
Mandarin said coming to Siri by March
The iPhone 4S sold out in Hong Kong even faster than previously thought, a memo from Ticonderoga Securities' Brian White indicates. The analyst claims that both the city's Apple Store and all authorized resellers sold out within a space of three hours; Apple's local online store states that there is "no supply" of the phone left. Earlier accounts had just the Apple Store selling out by lunchtime.
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11/10, 2:00am
21 percent considering a Mac for next computer
Apple CEO Tim Cook has kept a special focus on China in recent years, and the company's efforts in that market are beginning to pay off; in addition to remarkable growth in the region in the most recent quarters, a new survey indicates that both Apple generally and the Mac specifically are poised for significant gains that could push the company into second place in the region, AppleInsider reports.
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11/08, 11:45am
Focus currently on LTE model, sources say
Apple is in "no rush" to make a TD-SCDMA iPhone for China Mobile, says Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu. Wu's industry sources claim that Apple has actually been beta-testing TD-SCDMA-equipped iPhones for a while. Because of success with current official carrier China Unicom, however -- as well as over 10 million unlocked iPhones on China Mobile, plus sales in Taiwan and Hong Kong -- Apple allegedly has no strong interest in TD-SCDMA, and may actually skip the Chinese-only 3G standard in favor of preparing for a 4G TD-LTE iPhone.
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11/08, 10:35am
iPhone 4S could reach China before end of 2011
Apple has finally discontinued 16 and 32GB models of the iPhone 4 for China Unicom, and the latter company is accelerating efforts to launch an 8GB version by the end of the month, sources close to the carrier claim. The company's general manager, Lu Yumin, has publicly stated that it is pushing to sell the iPhone 4S as soon as possible. Local reports suggest that while the 4S is still waiting for regulatory approval, it could ship by the end of 2011, preceded by an 8GB iPhone 4 as in the US.
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11/08, 9:15am
Limited to 'select accessories'
As anticipated, Apple has released a major update to the official Apple Store app for iOS. The key change is the addition of EasyPay, which lets shoppers scan an item at an Apple Store and perform a self-checkout. The function has several limits though; it is for instance currently US-only, and applies just to "select accessories." Users must also have an iPhone 4 or 4S, despite the presence of cameras on the iPad 2 and iPod touch.
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11/07, 10:20am
HP consumer notebooks will use 'Made in Japan'
According to Japanese business daily The Nikkei, HP will move production of its consumer-oriented notebook computers for the Japanese market from China to its plant near Tokyo [subscription required]. The company says the goal of the change is to reduce delivery time, simplify logistics, and use the "Made in Japan" tag in its marketing. HP also switched production of its business laptops to the Akishima plant in August.
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10/31, 10:45am
May have to wait until next-gen iPhone
A China Telecom iPhone will probably have to wait until 2012, says UBS' Jinjin Wang. The analyst quotes checks with value chain suppliers, which allegedly point to a launch no earlier than February or March of 2012. The phone could come out as late mid-2012, Wang suggests. If so, the timing could mean that there will be no Telecom iPhone until Apple launches a next-generation device, although that would also assume the company plans to return to a summer release schedule.
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10/20, 4:10pm
Revives Tech Talk concept
Apple has unveiled plans for an iOS 5 Tech Talk World Tour. Apple experts are scheduled to visit nine cities during the tour, including Berlin, London, Rome, Beijing, Seoul, São Paolo, New York City, Seattle, and Austin. Events will start in Berlin on November 2nd and end in Austin on January 23rd. Registration for January 13th's New York City event is already full.
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10/18, 8:00pm
Asia-Pacific market sees doubling in revenues
The extraordinary growth of the market in China and the Asia-Pacific region in general is helping keep the Apple retail business profitable despite aggressive expansion and renovation costs, and the company plans to take advantage of this by leveraging that growth both in out of that region. In addition to more stores and what CEO Tim Cook referred to as "other things" to expand Apple's presence in China, the company plans to invest in other emerging regions.
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10/18, 5:35pm
Mac sales fueled by MacBook Air, Pro
As a part of announcing its fourth-quarter financial results, Apple has released a detailed breakdown (PDF) of where the money came from. Regionally the Americas continued to be Apple's greatest source of revenue, generating $9.648 billion, up 34 percent year-over-year. Europe was up 36 percent to $7.397 billion however, and the Asia-Pacific region -- which includes China -- jumped 139 percent to $6.530 billion.
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10/17, 11:40am
Shipments will 'inevitably be affected'
Metal casing supplier Catcher Technology has partially shutdown a plant in eastern China, following environmental complaints made to the local government by area residents, says the Wall Street Journal. Catcher elaborates that the complaints revolved around a "strange odor" coming from the complex. The facility primarily supplies casing for the MacBook Air, as well as some smartphones.
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10/10, 6:10pm
Problems hitting Android Google users exclusively
Chinese Android phone owners using two of Google's most popular apps, Gmail and Android Market, are reportedly being hit with outages or crippled performance. The problems apparently started on Saturday. They are widespread, Penn Olson said, affecting a number of mobile and broadband ISPs across the country.
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09/27, 9:35am
Extends safety concerns about company's plants
Another fire has hit a Foxconn factory, this time in China's Shandong province, reports say. There are no accounts of injuries, and Foxconn reports that the fire has already been extinguished. The manufacturer suggests that the fire was probably caused by abandoned pipelines left on top of the building.
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09/26, 7:10pm
Asia-Pacific region continuing strong sales
Following a trip to Asia, analyst T. Michael Walkley of Canaccord has sent out a note to investors reiterating his "Buy" recommendation on Apple, a $545 12-month target price and general optimism on both general demand for Apple products as well as continuing growth in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, particularly in China itself. Walkley attended the grand opening of Apple's third Shanghai store as well as met with suppliers and other market experts.
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09/23, 9:50am
Largest location in China to date
Apple has today formally launched its Nanjing East store in Shanghai, China. The outlet is Apple's largest in China to date. One report notes that it may serve up to 40,000 people per day, and that some 300 store workers were present for the opening, with about 500 visitors lined up to become the first official customers. Reuters adds that some people flew in from nearby cities.
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09/22, 4:30pm
Apple Store prepares for non-existent lineups
The 3G iPad 2 has so far met with an extremely poor response in mainland China, at least at retail, reports say. Apple Stores in Beijing and Shanghai are said to have been totally devoid of crowds during the Wednesday launch, even though guards and fencing were brought out in anticipation of long lineups. Scalpers which have plagued Apple retail in China were only seen in small numbers.
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09/21, 3:05pm
Prices start at equivalent of $735
As planned, 3G models of the iPad 2 are now available in mainland China. By extension Apple has revealed prices at its online store; a 16GB tablet is 4,688 RMB, about $735 US, while 32 and 64GB options are 5,488 RMB ($860) and 6,288 RMB ($985), respectively. In the US 3G iPads are substantially cheaper, sitting between $629 and $829, even though the products are built in China.
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09/20, 9:30am
China Unicom quiet on support
Apple has announced plans to launch 3G models of the iPad 2 in China, which will join existing Wi-Fi options. The new hardware will go on sale Wednesday, made available through Apple's online and retail stores as well as authorized resellers. Prices have yet to be made public though, and Apple's only Chinese carrier partner -- China Unicom -- has yet to acknowledge the rollout. Unicom is in fact the only carrier in the country which can make use of the HSPA 3G supported by the iPad 2.
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09/19, 12:50pm
New Vancouver outlet coming
One or more thieves broke into the Renaissance at Colony Park Apple Store in Ridgeland, Mississippi on Monday morning, reports say. The incident occurred sometime around 4:30AM, and resulted in at least 20 computers being stolen. Local police say that a car was spotted traveling at high speed on the roundabout on Highland Colony Parkway and Old Agency Road at 4AM, which prompted them to patrol nearby businesses. The theft was called in to station roughly 20 to 30 minutes later.
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09/19, 11:30am
Would join iPhone 5, iPhone 4
Research suggests that Apple will release two new iPhone models this year, not just one, according to JP Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz. The first is of course the iPhone 5, which Moskowitz expects to be thinner and lighter while supporting both GSM and CDMA networks and moving to a larger display. "The new iPhone 5 stands to be based on the iPad 2's A5 processor or a newer A6 version," he adds. "We also expect 1GB of RAM to increase memory access times. Other improvements are increased battery life due to advancement in battery technologies, the printed circuit board (PCB), the touch screen, and LCD power consumption metrics."
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09/16, 12:55pm
Company makes push into library
Some students are upset over Apple plans to move into the library at Peking University, says the People's Daily. An "Apple Experience Center" is opening on the third floor of the library next week; the center's 40 square meters are surrounded by glass walls, and occupy a former study space. Although Apple notebooks, iPhone cases and headphones have reportedly been spotted in the space, the library insists that no Apple products will be sold. Instead the goal is claimed to be providing better access to materials through digital technology.
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09/15, 12:45pm
Expands on recurring claims
China Mobile and Apple are hoping to "find a solution for close collaboration" on TD-LTE and compatible hardware, specifically an iPhone, according to China Mobile chairman Wang Jianzhou. "We discussed this issue with Apple," Wang explained in an interview today. "We hope Apple will produce a new iPhone with TD-LTE. We have already got a positive answer from Apple."
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