Apple is edging closer to introducing its iPad to China’s growing legion of fans. Monday, the government’s Quality Cerification Center gave its much-desired safety certification to the tablet device. Although the Cupertino, Calif. company is mum on its intentions, the iPad would make the second product Apple exports to the Asian giant.
“The iPad is a top tier device and the Apple brand has a great deal of influence among consumers,” iResearch analyst Liu Liang said. Carrier China Unicom has expressed interest in selling the iPad, as well as the iPhone 4, the Wall Street Journal reported in July.
However, the safety certificate is described by analysts as “just the first step” in getting the iPad onto China shelves. The next hurdle will be a stamp of approval for 3G iPads by China’s Telecommunications Equipment and Certification Center. Readers may remember Apple’s Wi-Fi iPhone 3GS was delayed in China, while the government attempted to get the handset to use a home-grown version of the wireless protocol.
Reportedly, China could be among the first customers for a CDMA-based iPhone. At its most recent quarterly report, Apple announced Mac sales increased by 73 percent in the Asia Pacific region with sales in China and Korea up almost 200 percent.
[9to5Mac]
