Rumor: China to See Release of iPhone 5 within One Month
China News, 10/16/12
According to a source close to a major Beijing-based Apple reseller, the iPhone 5 will hit the mainland China market within a month, but the source did not disclose which operator would be the first to offer the smartphone.
Photos have circulated on Chinese microblogs showing China Telecom's (NYSE: CHA; 0728.HK) Suzhou service hall on Chang'an Road advertising pre-sales of the iPhone 5. The official website and microblog of Sichuan Telecom has announced the imminent mainland China release of the handset. China Telecom has begun printing marketing materials and training employees for iPhone 5 sales, and China Telecom's customer service division has established a hotline to alert customers about iPhone deliveries.
The official microblog of China Unicom's (NYSE: CHU; 0762.HK; 600050.SH) Zhuzhou branch in Hunan province today announced that the WCDMA version of the iPhone 5 has been delivered to distribution centers throughout the country, and some service halls have begun accepting iPhone 5 pre-orders. Guizhou Unicom customers can pay a RMB 200 deposit at local service halls to reserve priority spots for pre-orders.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's (MIIT) China Quality Certification Centre (CQC) awarded 3C certification (China Compulsory Certification) to the CDMA and WCDMA versions of the iPhone 5 in late September.
Editor's Note: For more background on this topic, please see "iPhone 5 Receives 3C Certification" MD 9/27/12 issue.
Keywords: Sichuan Telecom China Telecom China Unicom iPhone handset smartphone wireless Apple 0728.HK 0762.HK 600050.SH CHA CHU
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