Confirmed: Unicom to sell iPhone in China

Apple has signed a deal with China Unicom to sell the iPhone in the world’s largest mobile market.

Unicom chairman and CEO Chang Xiaobing told a press conference in Hong Kong that the company had signed a multi-year deal with Apple today for supply of the smartphone.
 
Two models will be sold in China from the fourth quarter – the 8GB iPhone 3G and the 16GB/32GB iPhone 3G S, Chang said.
 
Unicom will subsidize the sale of the iPhone, which would be available at “competitive” prices, he said.
 
The carrier will launch commercial W-CDMA/HSPA services in 285 cities on September 28, becoming the third Chinese carrier to do so. Unicom is the only mainland China operator to use the W-CDMA standard.
 
Separately, the company announced 42% fall in first-half profit to 6.62 billion yuan (€675 million).