Apple says it has reached a deal to bring the iPhone to China Mobile, the world's biggest phone carrier.
The deal gives Apple a bigger entry into the huge Chinese market and China Mobile's estimated 760 million subscribers. The network is also rolling out the world's biggest 4G network.
The iPhone is popular with Chinese customers who can afford it but it has been eclipsed by lower-priced smartphones from Samsung and local brands.
The iPhone 5S and 5C will go on sale in Apple and China Mobile stores beginning Friday, Jan. 17. China Mobile customers can register for phones starting Wednesday.
Analysts say China Mobile will have to match those terms to achieve significant sales.
China Mobile wants to have the world’s largest 4G network. It plans to have 4G services available in 16 cities by the end of 2013 and to provide coverage for 340 cities by the end of 2014.
Android's market share rose in the third quarter to 81 percent, extending its lead over Apple's iOS, used on its iPhones, according to an IDC survey.
Even though iPhone sales grew 25.6 percent from a year earlier, the growth was slower than the overall market and Apple's share fell to 12.9 percent from 14.4 percent in the same period last year.
written by Nicolas Yang
