China Telecom has reversed course and now expresses interest in offering the iPhone to subscribers. The decision to sell the iPhone hinges on whether Apple will offer a CDMA version of the iconic handset, a Wednesday report suggests.
“If we can have an iPhone, that would be good, but we’ll just wait and see” if the Cupertino, Calif. company offers one, the Wall Street Journal quotes an unnamed China Telecom official. Reportedly, Apple is working on a CDMA iPhone, although the company has made no public comment.
If true, the comment would reverse earlier remarks by China Telecom CEO Wang Xiaochu that the carrier did not plan to offer the iPhone, due to its high cost and competitive market. Millions of “gray market” iPhones appeared in the Chinese market prior to Apple’s official launch in 2009. Along with the gray market, Apple and its carrier partner China Unicom have had to compete with more inexpensive pre-paid phones sold on corners.
China Telecom would make the third carrier in that populous Asian nation interested in offering the handset to local consumers. China Unicom now sells the iPhone, however China Mobile for some time has said it was negotiating with Apple to also obtain the phone.
