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World's first 128GB phone now available from Meizu, but only works in China
You may recall that a little while back we checked out China's Meizu MX3, and in addition to its unique 15:9 1,800 x 1,080 display, one of its other selling points is the 128GB storage option. Well, this version is finally available as of today, except it's only offered to the TD-SCDMA variant of the phone, meaning you can only use it on China Mobile's network or, if you're desperate, any GSM 2G network. If that's no problem and you have an address in China, then you can head over to online store JD.com and hand over CN¥3,999 (about US$660) for the 5.1-inch, Exynos 5 Octa-powered device off contract. As for the rest of us, it's probably just a matter of time before the WCDMA-flavored MX3 gets the same treatment, so stay tuned. Alternatively, the upcoming Vivo Xplay 3S is rumored to have a 128GB option as well, and given that it'll support both TD-LTE and FD-LTE, it might be a better buy for us speed freaks outside China.
iPhone 5s and 5c approved for China Mobile, the world's biggest carrier (updated)
Apple's mission to bring the iPhone to the world's largest mobile operator has apparently dragged on since 2007. Now, however, it finally looks as if Tim Cook's latest round of secret negotiations has paid off. TENAA, China's equivalent to the FCC, has released documents clearing a pair of iPhones packing GSM-enabled TD-LTE radios. Considering that China's other two carriers (Telecom and Unicom) use the more common CDMA2000 or WCDMA, this is a very hefty hint that the iPhone 5s and 5c will shortly be available to China Mobile's 740-million plus subscribers. Update: Looks like these variants were actually first made public on TENAA back in September, according to our friends over at The Next Web, but a tease can only last for so long. China will just have to hurry up with its official TD-LTE roll-out, which is rumored to take place later this year.
QSAlpha in talks to bring Quasar IV smartphone to China Mobile
A couple weeks ago we covered a new Indiegogo campaign from QSAlpha, a company aiming to produce a super-encrypted smartphone (along with a software-based platform for standard Android users as well). Despite the fact that the funding phase didn't go so well, the manufacturer recently announced that its phones will go into production and begin shipping in Q2 of next year. But which operators will take on this hardcore encrypted handset? Sources have confirmed to Engadget that QSAlpha is closely working with China Mobile to bring the Quasar IV handset to market. An official launch isn't likely to happen right away -- nor could our sources go into more detail on what the deal entails -- but at least this is good news for anyone who is rooting for this particular device to become a reality. It's hard to say whether or not we'll see it available anywhere else, though we wouldn't be surprised if we have the opportunity to buy one online in other parts of the world.
Apple job listing seeks engineer with knowledge of China Mobile's proprietary network
Adding even more credence to a growing chorus of reports pointing to Apple striking an iPhone deal with China Mobile, Bloomberg today points us to a new Apple job listing seeking an engineer experienced with China Mobile's proprietary TD-LTE network. The job listing notes that the position will "support and drive the carrier approval of mobile phones." The job posting seeks in-depth knowledge and experience with wireless systems including TD-LTE, which is the 4G standard used by China Mobile. Skills with WCDMA and CDMA, the technologies used by China Unicom and China Telecom, respectively, are also sought. "This role will be responsible for the overall management of the technical interface to all carriers in the Greater China region," Apple said in the ad. China Mobile is the world's largest carrier with upwards of 700 million subscribers. To that end, reaching a deal with them would provide Apple with a tremendous opportunity to really create a noticeable uptick in iPhone sales. Just recently, word emerged that in early September, Apple received a "network access license" to carry the iPhone on China Mobile.
iPhone's piece of the Chinese smartphone pie expected to double in 2014
According to a new report from IDC, Apple's share of the Chinese smartphone market is expected to double in 2014. That Apple considers China an important part of its overall plan to significantly increase its revenue base is hardly a secret. With rumors that Apple may soon be finalizing an iPhone deal with China Mobile -- the world's largest carrier -- it makes sense that Apple could easily increase its market share in the country in a relatively short period of time. Of course, it's easy to increase market share when you're starting from the bottom and have nowhere to go but up. As it stands now, the iPhone isn't even one of the top five most popular smartphones in China. That list is spearheaded by Samsung, which has an 18.3 percent share of the smartphone market, followed by Lenovo which owns a 12.6 percent share of the market. "The sharp increase in shipments of low-end China Mobile smartphones has driven the growth of Lenovo and Coolpad. On a separate note, affected by the sluggish sales of iPhone 5, Apple's market share has declined dramatically, but its performance is expected to remarkably improve with the launch of the new iPhone," says James Yan, Senior Analyst for China Mobile Phone Market, IDC China. IDC notes that smartphone shipments in the country will hit 360 million units in 2013 and may soon rise to 450 million by 2014. With that rise in shipments, IDC anticipates that Apple's new iPhone models, coupled with a potential deal with China Mobile, will boost the iPhone's popularity. Thanks to its cooperation with China Mobile and the launch of low-cost iPhone, iOS will see a rapid growth in 2014, and IDC expects its market share to double that of 2013. So when might we see the iPhone land on China Mobile? Well, we reported not too long ago that Apple had received the requisite regulatory license to carry the iPhone on China Mobile's network. The rumor mill has been suggesting the iPhone will land on China Mobile sometime before the end of 2013, but as with any Apple-related rumor, nothing is ever a guarantee until an official announcement is made.
Signs point to Apple deal with China Mobile
After years of speculation and spyshots of Tim Cook in China, it appears that the stage is set for Apple to finally bring the iPhone to China Mobile. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple recently received a regulatory license to run the iPhone on China Mobile's proprietary network standard. While the iPhone lands on new carriers all the time, China Mobile is the world's largest carrier with over 700 million subscribers and presents an incredible business and growth opportunity for Apple. According to the website of China's Telecom Equipment Certification Center Wednesday, Apple received what's called a "network access license" for a handset resembling the iPhone that runs on the mobile standards used by China Mobile for third- and fourth-generation cellular services. Other licenses were given to Apple for handsets running the technology used by both China Unicom and China Telecom Corp. While Apple and China Mobile haven't issued an official statement regarding a deal between the two companies, the Journal relays that Apple is poised to begin shipping the iPhone 5c to China Mobile. As with anything related to Apple however, nothing is 100 percent official until we get a clear-cut confirmation. That said, the evidence in this case is more substantive than it's ever been before.
WSJ: Apple near shipping iPhones to China Mobile (updated)
If you believe the rumors, Apple has been in discussions to bring the iPhone to China Mobile almost since day one. Those seemingly endless negotiations may have drawn to a close: the Wall Street Journal now claims that Apple is near shipping at least the iPhone 5C to the giant Asian carrier. There's no word on ship dates or what kind of deal (if any) is in place, although imminent shipments would suggest that there's some kind of official arrangement. Neither side has commented on the rumor; we wouldn't necessarily expect a mention of China Mobile at the iPhone launch event next week. When Apple is reportedly launching the iPhone on other holdout carriers this year, however, an expansion to the world's largest cellular provider only makes sense. Update: Bloomberg hears that Apple is "close to a deal" with China Mobile, but that there won't be an announcement at the September 10th event in Cupertino.
Tim Cook meets with China Mobile chairman
Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly met with China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua on Tuesday to "discuss matters of cooperation," according to Reuters. The meeting is thought to be a step towards the Chinese wireless carrier offering the iPhone to its customers, though no official statement was released regarding an agreement. With over 700 million customers and the title of the largest wireless operator in the world (by subscribers), a deal to offer the iPhone would be a huge win for both the state-owned China Mobile as well as Apple. China Mobile users have notoriously shied away from 3G and higher speeds in greater numbers than its competitor's subscribers. Whether or not the iPhone can help change that trend remains to be seen.
Tim Cook meets with China Mobile in Beijing
After a less than spectacular couple of months for sales in the Greater China area, Tim Cook paid a visit to Beijing to speak with China Mobile chairman Xi Guohua. Apple's CEO was there to "discuss matters of cooperation," according to Reuters, a conversation that no doubt included bringing iPhones and iPads to the the carrier's massive subscriber base. Apple has yet to issue a comment on the discussion, but a partnership could mean huge numbers for Cupertino, delivering iOS products to the mobile provider with the world's largest subscriber base.
Nubia Z5 mini official, touts full-size hardware at a tiny price
ZTE's sub-label Nubia may want a refresher on the definition of "mini," because we're not seeing many sacrifices in its just-shipped Z5 mini. At 4.7 inches, the Android phone is nearly as large as the 5-inch Z5 flagship; it also shares the bigger Z5's quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro, 2GB of RAM, 2,300mAh battery, 13MP f/2.2 rear camera and 5MP front camera. The mini is likewise a first-class citizen in its home country with 3G support for China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom. Prospective owners are only really giving up screen resolution (down to 720p) and storage (down to 16GB), and they're getting a choice of pastel-colored, replaceable backs in return. As such, that makes the Z5 mini a potential bargain at its ¥1,888 ($308) price -- buyers are getting most of the Z5 experience for considerably less cash.
ZTE Geek U988S outed as world's first Tegra 4 phone, headed to China Mobile
China's TENAA certification database is notorious for leaking mobile devices, but this time ZTE's learned that if you can't beat it, then just play along with it. After this U988S was leaked by TENAA recently, ZTE decided to share some product shots on a forum and Sina Weibo ahead of time. What's more, the company confirmed that this red device is actually the China Mobile version of the Geek, but the Intel chip has been replaced by NVIDIA's upcoming Tegra 4. As teased before, this will likely make the new Geek the world's first phone to pack this quad-core chip, which will be clocked at 1.8GHz and will have 2GB of RAM, according to the TENAA filing. Other changes include a 5-inch LCD upgrade from 1,280 x 720 to 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, plus the front-facing camera is now at two megapixels instead of just one. On the other hand, the old 8-megapixel main camera is here to stay. Sadly, this particular device will only work on China Mobile's TD-SCDMA network, meaning the rest of the world will have to stay tuned for a global version. Let's hope it doesn't take too long.
Huawei Ascend W2 shows up prematurely, packs color-matching backlit soft keys (hands-on)
After the official product shot leaked in late May, we knew it wouldn't be long before Huawei's Ascend W2 makes an official appearance. Well, today's the day, but as the company's second-ever Windows Phone device, the W2's appearance at Mobile Asia Expo was surprisingly low key. According to the spec sheet at Huawei's booth, this affordable phone comes with a 4.3-inch 800 x 480 display (looked like IPS to us) and a 1.4GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8230 SoC (same as the W1 but faster) with 512MB RAM. There's 8GB of built-in storage along with microSD expansion -- the slot is located next to the removable 1,700mAh battery plus full-size SIM slot, all underneath the red or yellow back cover. Even though Huawei doesn't hide the fact that the W2 is a low-cost device, it's actually not too shabby. Most notably, the three usual soft keys are color backlit and will match your desired theme in Windows Phone 8. As a bonus, the touchscreen has a glove mode -- as featured on several other more recent Huawei phones -- for the cold winter days. There's still no price or date announced just yet, but since this particular model packs a TD-SCDMA radio for China Mobile, folks outside China will have to wait for the WCDMA variant. For now, we have a hands-on video for you after the break. %Gallery-192374%
Sony announces the Xperia SP M35t, its first TD-LTE device for China Mobile
Announced alongside the Xperia C just now is the TD-LTE version of the Xperia SP (M35t), and naturally, it's headed to China Mobile, which pretty much owns the technology right now. Like before, the device comes with a 4.6-inch 720p plus a touchscreen that works fine with gloves. Additionally, NFC and the iconic illuminating transparent element are still present. Not much was said about the detailed specs, though, so we're not sure if it's the same chipset inside. Again, stay tuned for further announcements.
HTC Desire 608t with BoomSound joins 606w on Chinese online store
While taking a look around HTC China's online store after the Desire 600 (aka Desire 606w in China) announcement, we also stumbled upon this Desire 608t that was first outed by TENAA in late April. With the exception of the One SV-like design and the TD-SCDMA radio for China Mobile, this model is otherwise identical to its 606w sibling, especially with the Sense 5-enhanced Android 4.1, BoomSound front stereo speakers, dual SIM and even the CN¥2,499 ($410) unsubsidized price tag. Other specs include: 4.5-inch 960 x 540 Super LCD 2, 1.2GHz quad-core chip by Qualcomm, 1GB RAM, 8GB storage (with up to 64GB expansion via microSD), 8-megapixel imager (with f/2.0 aperture and 720p video capture), 1.6-megapixel front camera, 1,860mAh battery and NFC. Interestingly, the 608t is also listed with Zoe camera feature, yet the 606w isn't, so hopefully it's just a mistake for the latter instead of the former.%Gallery-189189%
MediaTek's new chip offers entry-level smartphones a dual-core SoC with HSPA+ on the cheap
As glad as we are that MediaTek ushered in affordable, quad-core SoC designs with the MT6589, even that silicon can only go so far in making smartphones accessible. The company's new MT6572 might be frugal enough to lower some of those few remaining barriers. The all-in-one part mates a cheaper dual-core, 1.2GHz ARM Cortex-A7 processor with HSPA+ 3G, China-focused TD-SCDMA, Bluetooth, GPS and WiFi, dropping the construction costs beyond what even the chip's quad-core sibling can manage. While the MT6572 can only handle up to a qHD display, a 5-megapixel camera and 720p video, that's more than enough to improve baseline features in a category where many recent entry-level phones still tout single-core CPUs and WVGA screens. Its rapid arrival in the marketplace may be crucial, too. MediaTek expects the first phones based on the MT6572 to roll out in June -- just in time to keep the world's transition to smartphones moving at full steam.
HTC 608t spied, brings dual speakers to a One SV-like design
HTC might be gearing up for a wider audio assault. Just days after the 606w made a pass through China's TENAA with stereo sound, a 608t cousin has made the agency rounds carrying its own pair of front speakers. If the 608t looks familiar, it should -- it's effectively a spin on the One SV body (or rather, the somewhat similar One ST from China) with both the reworked audio as well as the same navigation layout that first appeared on the One. While we can't verify rumors that the 608t will step up to Jelly Bean, a quad-core chip and an 8-megapixel rear camera, the TENAA report does show that it will include TD-SCDMA for China Mobile as well as GSM and WiFi. However subtle an upgrade the phone will be, about all that's left is for HTC to orchestrate a formal launch.
Oppo's 4.7-inch, 6.93mm-thick R809T pays homage to the Finder
No, this isn't the world's thinnest phone thanks to Alcatel and BBK, but Oppo's recently announced R809T is still a seemingly attractive device judging by the above official image. Measuring at 6.93mm thick (instead of the rumored 6.13mm), we're surprised that Oppo didn't set this to be the follow-up to the Finder: sure, it's 0.28mm thicker, but it also aces the latter with a 4.7-inch 720p in-cell display, a 1.2GHz quad-core chip with 1GB RAM (likely MediaTek's Cortex-A7-based MT6589 SoC), Android 4.2 and a sorely missed 3.5mm headphone jack -- so no micro-USB adapter required. Then there's also an 8-megapixel main camera plus an increasingly common 2-megapixel, 88-degree wide front-facing imager, which is obviously no match for the 5-megapixel counterpart on Oppo's Ulike 2. Pricing and availability have yet to be announced, but given the "T" in the model name, chances are it'll only work on China Mobile's TD-SCDMA network, anyway; unless you really don't mind using just GSM. Close-up shot after the break.
ZTE Grand Memo and Grand S on sale now in China
Two of ZTE's Android flagships have just gone on sale in China: the Grand Memo and Grand S. If you'll remember, the Chinese OEM introduced the devices earlier this year, unveiling the 5-inch 1080p Grand S at CES and the stylus-less, 5.7-inch Note competitor, the Grand Memo, at MWC. Although the big buzz around the Memo's introduction had much to do with its Snapdragon 800 heart, the variant hitting the Chinese market won't have that claim to CPU fame -- it'll ship with an S4 Pro instead and should retail for 2,688 yuan (or $432 USD), while the S will run about 3,399 yuan (or $547 USD). Still no word on whether we'll ever see either handset stateside, but given ZTE's bold new brand push, it's likely one of the two'll make the transcontinental trek in some fashion soon.
China Mobile will spend $6.7 billion on 4G network, preparing for next-gen iPhone?
As reported by Reuters, China Mobile has announced it will inject US$6.7 billion into upgrading its network to 4G TD-LTE technology. The announcement comes as part of a wider $30.1 billion upgrade as well as anticipation that Apple's next iPhone will arrive on its network, supporting the 4G TD-LTE technology. As confirmed at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, China Mobile announced it will be rolling out 4G TD-LTE in over 100 cities across China, bringing fast mobile Internet access to an estimated 500 million customers. China Mobile, the world's biggest mobile carrier, with 715 million subscribers, currently uses an inferior 3G (TD-SCDMA) technology, which is not fully compatible with the current iPhone, unlike the networks of its smaller rivals, China Unicorn and China Telecom. With the announcement of Qualcomm's RF360 Front-End Solution (a worldwide one-size-fits-all 4G solution), which is widely expected to be used in Apple's next iPhone, coupled with China Mobile's network upgrade to 4G, Apple could be poised for some significant iPhone sales in China over the coming years. [Via Apple Insider]
China Mobile preps for iPhone with TD-LTE service
The wait for an iPhone may finally be over this year for customers on the China Mobile TD-LTE network, reports Patently Apple. China Mobile confirmed at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week that it will be running tests of its TD-LTE network in more than 100 cities in China, which will provide fast data service to a potential customer base of more than 500 million people. The news follows reports that Apple supplier Qualcomm is producing a new solution that supports all available LTE implementations and that would allow phone manufacturers to provide a single mobile device that would provide global LTE roaming support. If Apple chooses to use this solution -- which also provides more efficient use of battery power -- in an upcoming iPhone, it could open the door to even more dynamic growth in sales of Apple's flagship product.
