With competition around the iPhone at an all-time high, Apple could use a huge boost in sales numbers, so Tim Cook made another visit to Beijing this week to recruit the world’s biggest mobile carrier, China Mobile, to bring the iPhone to its network.
China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua was on hand Tuesday to meet with Cook, and according to the Chinese firm, the two discussed ‘matters of cooperation’ between the two companies, which means they were probably talking about how much money they’d both make if China Mobile sold the iPhone 5C.
Even though China Mobile is the world’s largest carrier, it’s also the only major Chinese carrier that doesn’t have a deal to sell the iPhone, and the slow 3G adoption by its customers is starting to hurt profits now that SMS messaging is less popular than data-reliant apps.
During its last earnings call, Apple announced that earnings from China dropped 43% from the last quarter. A deal to carry the iPhone could turn the tides for both companies, especially once the Chinese government starts issuing 4G licenses later this year.
Source: Reuters
