China Mobile chairman, Apple CEO discuss cooperation

Apple Inc. Chief Executive Tim Cook and China Mobile Ltd. Chairman Xi Guohua talked cooperation Thursday, China Mobile told Dow Jones Newswires Thursday.

China Mobile refused to disclose details of the discussions because of a confidentiality agreement. Apple's Beijing spokeswoman couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

The meeting at the Chinese carrier's Beijing headquarters will raise hopes the two companies are close to a deal that will allow the telecoms provider to sell its customers the iPhone.

China is a big market for Apple where its products are seen as aspirational by a growing middle class. Apple's China sales were $5.7 billion for the fiscal quarter through September--roughly 16% of the company's world-wide total.

iPhone 5 sales in China topped 2 million units over the weekend of its launch Dec. 14, Apple said recently.

China Mobile is the world's largest carrier by subscribers but any deal for it to offer the iPhone will likely come after it introduces next-generation wireless services. Analysts say Apple could offer a version that runs on China Mobile's homegrown technology standard, TD-SCDMA. The carrier has been testing its TD-LTE fourth-generation network in some cities.

The iPhone has been available in China since 2009 from China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd.

Apple has a Chinese version of App Store.

Source: http://www.totaltele.com/view.aspx?ID=478708

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