Dave Horvath
13 Nov 2007 12:49
In a move to further enhance the iEmpire, Chinese Cell phone provider China Mobile has entered talks with Steve Jobs and company to sell the Apple iPhone in China. Talks seem to be going relatively smoothly, however China Mobile CEO says he doesn't like the revenue sharing that takes place between Apple and other mobile carriers elsewhere in the world.
Apple has been signing exclusive deals with several mobile operators to provide service to the iPhone exclusively in exchange for a share of the profits on the contracts signed. O2 in the UK and AT&T in the US both have agreed to similar deals where the operator pays for a portion of their iPhone subscriber revenue. Apple states that it would like to roll out the iPhone to Asia next year and China Mobile would be a good deal for them as they are China's largest mobile operator with some 350 million subscribers and potential iPhone-aphiles.
In contrast, China Mobile is also part of Google's Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of technologists that will develop products with the Google Android mobile phone platform in mind. This platform is said to potentially be competition for the iPhone once it reaches production.
Source:
PC World