China Mobile could deactivate 3G / WiFi on iPhone 3G launch

Currently, over 400,000 unlocked iPhones are roaming around China. Now that China Mobile is about to officially launch Apple's latest handset in the world's most populous country, we can only imagine that figure going up. In a bizarre twist of trying to keep a homegrown 3G standard (TD-SCDMA) alive, the carrier has announced that it is intending to launch the mobile with WiFi and 3G disabled -- a move that would make it less appealing to those who may be considering buying one, unlocking it and using it on the expected W-CDMA network from China Telecom. Uncool, China Mobile. Very uncool.

[Via mocoNews]

[Aex Dorman @ Sep 26th 2008 3:42AM]

Damn commies D:

[Nate @ Sep 26th 2008 6:03PM]

In other news, China filters citizen's internet access, pretends it still has control over everything, and has a cool looking stadium.

[Dave Graham @ Sep 26th 2008 3:45AM]

And it kinda sucks...

[le Chen @ Sep 26th 2008 3:47AM]

it's okay
HTC diamond even get worse..
no 3G no wifi...

[Churn @ Sep 26th 2008 4:10AM]

The dialog in the picture says "'Camera' wants to use you current position. 'Disallow' 'OK'". It has nothing to do with WiFi or 3G.

[BILL @ Sep 26th 2008 4:12AM]

超级中国特色阉割版，还不如山寨的

[LordFarkward @ Sep 26th 2008 4:22AM]

yup

[zephxiii @ Sep 26th 2008 9:17AM]

同意

[Testies, Testies, 1, 2... 3? @ Sep 26th 2008 12:56PM]

超级中国特色阉割版 You Too!

[SenatorOmelet @ Sep 27th 2008 3:34AM]

中国語はちょっと、ね？

[liin @ Sep 27th 2008 9:25PM]

Super China special castrated version, worse than pirated one.
對.
Agree.
Super China special castrated version, 你的!
I understand some Chinese, but did that mean?

[BILL @ Sep 26th 2008 4:13AM]

超级中国特色阉割版，还不如山寨的

[Testies, Testies, 1, 2... 3? @ Sep 26th 2008 12:57PM]

Ahhh the Low Rank, the only TRULY universal language....

[Kizorblade @ Sep 26th 2008 4:54AM]

That's just not nice. At all.

[j.d.ripper @ Sep 26th 2008 4:58AM]

How does this supporting another 3G standard make their 3G standard less alive ?
What about when folks want to travel to another country that also has it's own network standard and 3G ? Like Japan.

and well disabling Wi-Fi .. why ? what users to pay a premium for unlimited data? huh ?

Let's hope that China Mobile iPhone is freed of it's shackles as soon as it's released

[Tony @ Sep 26th 2008 12:42PM]

It's because WI-FI was banned in cellphones when it got popular back in '03, to prevent competition with... something, I forgot, probably skype vs. mobile.

[)law( @ Sep 26th 2008 5:43AM]

Limiting a already limted device. Well jailbreak that sucker and use a way to turn on those features and flip the bird to china mobile

[Serial 8-Ball Mouse @ Sep 26th 2008 9:47AM]

For every cool thing China does, they do three other things that negate it.

[xpmanchina @ Sep 26th 2008 10:46AM]

The figure is in TRADITIONAL CHINESE, which is the official language in TAIWAN, not CHINA.

[GPGPU @ Sep 26th 2008 1:21PM]

Taiwan is Republic of CHINA.......

[ToniCipriani @ Sep 26th 2008 11:51PM]

And Hong Kong, and Macau, which are both part of CHINA.

[Jeff @ Sep 26th 2008 11:30PM]

This whole piece is utterly silly and pointless.

There is no WCDMA service offered in China currently and there is no short term plan from any carrier to offer one. Activated or not iPhone 3G is going to be just a 2.75G (EDGE) phone in China. Considering China Mobile already has a 3G service which is not compatible with iPhone, it's unlikely China Mobile will build up another WCDMA network just for the iPhone 3G.

And the title of the article is misleading and contradicting to the body of the article. According to the article WIFI will be kept on the phone but the title suggests it is not.

Does anyone in Engadget know what journalism is about?

[aa07cbae @ Oct 19th 2008 4:21AM]

I read the article. I think the summary is spot on.

[Edmond @ Sep 28th 2008 1:10PM]

btw, the text in the picture reads "The camera would like to access your current location: OK / Cancel"

[James @ Sep 29th 2008 7:54AM]

To Jeff:
It's not journalism. It's a blog that reports on Journalism.
AND, WIFI will be limited or taken away. It says so in the heading and the body. And the body of the source article.

[Passenger @ Oct 21st 2008 2:48AM]

(1) All mobile phones officially sold in China till now have to disable WI-FI. It is not an iPhone-only policy.
(2) The 3G standard which iPhone supported is WCDMA. It is different with China Mobile's TD-SCDMA, but the same as China Unicom's. Because of the competition relationship between the two providers, you cannot ask China Mobile to sell a model which is ready for China Unicom.
(3) iPhone should try to make deal with China Unicom but they choose to talk with China Mobile. They are wasting time, aren't they?