Apple and China Mobile on Sunday announced the completion of a multi-year agreement to bring the iPhone to that carrier, the largest in the world. The deal will see Apple’s bestselling iPhones sold in China Mobile’s retail stores, as well as China Mobile-compatible iPhones in Apple retail stores across mainland China. The announcement marks the completion of a months-long process that has been marked by continual rumors and apparent delays, even as the last month seemed to confirm the iPhone’s arrival, with the carrier opening reservations for the devices in early December.
The new iPhones will arrive on China Mobile on January 17. Pre-registration for the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c will begin on December 25. Customers can enter the pre-registration process by going to China Mobile’s official website or calling its customer service hotline.
With more than 760 million customers, China Mobile’s subscriber base is larger than the population of every country in the world save China and India. The carrier has been rolling out 4G capabilities over the past several months, and the iPhone will launch on its 4G/TD-LTE and 3G/TD-SCDMA networks.
