"We are getting ready for the iPhone." A manager at China Unicom's Shanghai branch told Chinese Business News on March 25 that the company was busy making market preparations and was likely to launch the Apple iPhone on May 17, World Telecommunication Day.

But a senior official with China Unicom told the newspaper that negotiations with Apple were still going on, and the two sides had not yet reached agreement.

According to China Unicom, Shanghai is likely to be the first place in Chinese mainland where iPhone is available through authorized channels. As to pricing plans China Unicom says there isn't yet a final policy for its 3G services. But the handsets bought though a bundling package from Apple will eventually be less expensive than those bought through unofficial channels.

This bundling, according to insiders from Unicom's Shanghai branch, refers to a special cooperation between the company and Apple, in that China Unicom will hand Apple a lump sum, plus royalties in exchange for a batch of iPhone handsets that are only compatible with China Unicom SIM cards.

(China.org.cn March 26, 2009)