Shanghai: China Mobile, the country’s largest handset operator, is in the final stages of talks with Apple to launch the iPhone in China, the world’s largest mobile phone market, state media reported on Tuesday.
The two companies are likely to conclude the talks soon, the 21 Century Business Herald reported, citing unnamed sources.
A spokesman with China Mobile declined to comment on the report, while officials with Apple were not immediately available for comment.
China Mobile said in June the main obstacle keeping the iPhone out of China, which had 608.4 million mobile users at the end of July, had been cleared when Apple dropped its revenue-sharing demands.
Apple chief executive Steve Jobs has said he would like to see the device introduced in China later this year.