China Mobile Working Toward iPhone Deal

According to industry reports, in five years, more than 30% of mobile phone subscribers in China will be reading books and newspapers through their phones. The combination of greater 3G adoption and a marked increase in made-for-mobile content will drive mobile entertainment revenues to almost $48 billion by 2010.

Reports additionally forecast that 90% of Chinese newspapers would have digital editions by 2013. Perhaps it’s not an exaggeration to say that print media will move to mobile phones, especially when every other type of digital content already has.

With an estimated 600 million mobile users, according to iResearch - China has seen its mobile search users grow to 61 million at the end of 2007 and will hit 117 million by 2008 and pass 200 million by 2010.

Needless to say, China Mobile (CHL) is eager to secure a strong hold on the market including the transition of iPhone to mainland China. Mobile phones have effectively become video, music and Internet devices. The movement of print content to mobile handsets would be awfully convenient and thanks to the return of the traditional revenue model for the iPhone 3G, things are once again moving toward that direction.

Based on latest reports, there are indications that China Mobile’s Chairman Wang has indicated that “the major barrier to a discussion with Apple (AAPL) over the possible introduction of iPhone into China has been removed”. This detail, though not yet fully substantiated - perhaps refers to the revenue-sharing business model between Apple and wireless operators.

The world of 3G connectivity is expected to change the way how interaction-technology functions, how we shop, how we share information, and in general how we use handheld devices. The how(s) remaining to get explored seem at this point, almost infinite.

Comments

[BoiseCalling]

When will my aapl reflect these developements!!??

[michiganjake]

Old news rewritten.

[gofer]

Old news, backed up by sources either very vauge or poorly attributed. (ie... how vauge is 'industry sources'?)

[samij]

funny that the writer finds out whether chinese newspapers have web pages or not, but forgets to find out whether there is a 3g iphone compatible 3g network in china... well, there isn't and it will take a while before there will be.

[xyz]

good work.
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[Toni]

Repeating old possibilities make them more bound to happen.

Is it ?

[mollytjm]

people tend to forget that the iphone is only a year old....and that Apple had not previously been in the cell/smartphone business. they'll get the contracts and they'll sell a zillion phones. and then they'll sell more computers and whatever else they're inventing. They have tons of $ for R & D and no debt.

[imthewiz]

Thank you Rip Van Winkle.

[jmmx]

Nice to see the china statistics.

Just connecting the dots. That is what a blog is for.

Thanks