You may possibly be aware that the third largest carrier in China, China Telecom has been in negotiations with Apple with a view to offering the next generation iPhone at some point in the future, well apparently the latest word on that matter is that China Telecom may have reached an “initial deal” that would not only see the iPhone 5 with the carrier but also another iPhone handset.
According to a report over on Apple insider, Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White delivers a note to investors claiming a deal to bring the iPhone to China Telecom is “imminent,” and that said deal would “pave the way” for the launch of two versions of the iPhone on the carrier as early as October.
White says that China Telecom could offer the iPhone 5 along with a “more economical version” of the iPhone 4 that has been designed so that Apple can grab a slice of the developing countries market, and says that the introduction of a less expensive iOS smartphone on China Telecom could possibly rake in $30 billion.
White has previously said that Apple could garner as much as $70 billion in short term revenue from China high-end market, and believes that with a “more economical iPhone” that revenue could expand to over $200 billion.
China Telecom at the end of June had roughly 12 percent of the Chinese market share with 108.4 million customers.
Obviously getting China aboard the iPhone train is a good move for Apple and will no doubt eventually go through and swell the already bulging coffers of the company, and if it is true what the analyst says then obviously the rumours of a less expensive iPhone on its way are true.
And if Apple is looking to launch both the iPhone 5 and cheaper iPhone on China Telecom sometime in October, then I would have thought Apple would deliver both devices on their home turf first, thus signifying that September release rumour to be spot on, of course its all just based on one analysts prediction, so could also be way off the mark as even analysts have been known to be wrong sometimes.