China Mobile Talking to Steve Jobs About iPhone Deal
China Mobile hasn’t yet signed an iPhone deal with Apple, but it’s working hard to do so.
Discussing the carrier’s latest earnings with analysts today, China Mobile Chairman Wang Jianzhou said high-level conversations with Apple continue.
“I met Steve Jobs several times already, but we haven’t come to an agreement yet,” Wang said, according to Reuters. He offered no timetable for a deal, but once again stressed both companies are interested in inking one. “All I can say is, it’s a common wish of China Mobile and Apple to come to an agreement as soon as possible,” he said.
According to Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White, China Mobile has more wireless subscribers than any carrier in the world, well over 600 million. And despite the lack of an official agreement with Apple, it has some four million iPhone owners accessing its network via a special mini-SIM card. Which bodes well for the device when it officially launches on the carrier.
