China Unicom to fetch iPhone 3G in August?

Chalk this one up as just another rumor for now, but whispers around the Chinese web have it that China Unicom could be netting Apple's latest handset (yeah, that 3G one) this August. If you'll recall, Steve had issues in the past getting Chinese carriers to buy into his demanding revenue sharing model, but now that those days are gone, we suspect talks may go a little smoother. And c'mon, Apple didn't add in Chinese character recognition for kicks and giggles, now did it? As of now, China Mobile has yet to make a peep on the rumblings, but we've only got a few months before finding out either way.

[Via IntoMobile]

[Mark Anderson @ Jun 18th 2008 8:25AM]

They'd be mad if they didn't enter the Chinese market. Mad I tell you!

[r3loaded @ Jun 18th 2008 8:40AM]

Carry on with the "Mad I tell you!" and you'll start to look mad too :P

Anyway, I was surprised too by the lack of China as a launch country.

[Mark Anderson @ Jun 18th 2008 3:44PM]

MAD I TELL YOU!

[MastermindZ @ Jun 18th 2008 8:30AM]

1 billion more possible customers.

[SimonCards2 @ Jun 18th 2008 8:36AM]

Dude, until the IPhone can act as a high speed modem, its a kids phone. The teenagers love it but the business world requires a high speed modem.
www.iurlz.com/datools

[Qu33nZR3p1n9 @ Jun 18th 2008 10:39AM]

WRONG!, you can use that current Iphone as a Modem, what makes you think it wont be so with the 3G its the same, here the link
http://www.hackthatphone.com/114/tethering_iphone_on_windows.html

Yeah just a lil hack, but it works i use it on my PC and MAC

[Mark Anderson @ Jun 18th 2008 3:45PM]

@Unpronounceable name

*facepalm*

[John @ Jun 18th 2008 8:37AM]

I thought fetching was a thing of the past!

AHHHH, PUSH IT.

[Sean @ Jun 18th 2008 8:40AM]

two rules:
1. Official released cell phones in China must not have 3G.
2. Official released cell phones in China must not have WIFI.
but can iPhone be an exception?

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Jun 18th 2008 9:04AM]

Isn't China Unicom R-UIM also? (CDMA carrier that uses things just like SIM cards.)

[Sean @ Jun 18th 2008 9:28AM]

China Unicom have GSM too, so both SIM and RUIM.
A little fact about phones in China, all those 3G/WIFI phones in China have the actual 3G(WCDMA) RF board, they are just disabled in firmwares, if you flash a chinese version N95 rom to a European version, 3G/WIFI will be enabled. but that's not what Apple will do, making a custom OS X for China? I doubt it.

[Squid7085 @ Jun 18th 2008 8:46AM]

Well, they are making them, might as well let them buy and use them. It's only fair you know.

[iEye @ Jun 18th 2008 8:55AM]

Only problem is that China has;

iFone
HiPhone
C-iPhone
Sci-Phone
iFonze
BiPhone
CryPhone
Cect p168
Cect P168+
Cect P169
iOrgane F1
A380i
Desay N8
DaXian X999

for under $200 in a local shop.... and I am sure an iPhone 3G clone will be released before the real thing...

[John @ Jun 18th 2008 9:00AM]

you're funny.

[Ehren Goo @ Jun 18th 2008 9:12AM]

Um, China Mobile is CDMA only.

[Pulsar @ Jun 18th 2008 9:42AM]

Well... Not really, it does have a GSM network, worse than the one of China Mobile though.

[Pulsar @ Jun 18th 2008 9:47AM]

Oh... What am I talking about...sorry.
China Mobile has a large firm GSM/EDGE network. But its 3G will not be WCDMA.
China Unicom has both GSM and CDMA networks. And it's belivied that it will build a WCDMA network in the future. Though China Unicom is much weaker than China Mobile.

[David Dickman @ Jun 18th 2008 9:26AM]

The iPhone in China, now proud parents can own what their children mass produce all day.

[joe23521 @ Jun 18th 2008 9:46AM]

Funny thing is, almost nobody uses handwriting recognition for Chinese character input, on any device. It may be fun, but it just ain't very efficient.

[Pulsar @ Jun 18th 2008 9:54AM]

Right, there is already a keyboard input method for Chinese on iPhone now.
And... China Unicom or China Mobile or China Telecom or whatever, just bring it in.
I don't really want to go to Hongkong just for iPhone.

[Pulsar @ Jun 18th 2008 9:54AM]

Right, there is already a keyboard input method for Chinese on iPhone now.
And... China Unicom or China Mobile or China Telecom or whatever, just bring it in.
I don't really want to go to Hongkong just for iPhone.

[Eddie @ Jun 18th 2008 10:30AM]

China Unicom already called this rumor bulls**t, move on people

[Qu33nZR3p1n9 @ Jun 18th 2008 10:39AM]

http://www.hackthatphone.com/114/tethering_iphone_on_windows.html