Chinese operators look set to begin offering Apple’s latest iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus devices, with reports indicating the products have received government approval.
According to Reuters, the launch hold up was centered on concerns that the latest Apple products may have included “backdoor” paths that would allow the U.S. government to tap into access running across the device.
The approval means that China’s three largest mobile operators, China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom, can begin offering the devices to consumers. Apple had reported that it racked up 4 million pre-orders over the first 24 hours, and reported this week that it sold a record 10 million iPhone 6 and 6 Plus devices over its opening weekend across the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the U.K.
—AT&T Mobility expanded its prepaid GoPhone offering to include a pair of “in-home” rate plans that allow customers to tap the carrier’s wireless network to provide home phone and Internet services.
The plans require customers to purchase a base unit for voice services only for $70 or for $200 a unit that also includes Internet access. For the voice-only option customers plug in a standard wireline phone to access services running across AT&T Mobility’s wireless network, while the Internet-enabled version also acts as a Wi-Fi-equipped router allowing up to 10 devices to access services across the carrier’s mobile data network.
Rate plans begin at $20 per month for unlimited nationwide calling on the voice-only hub, while the Internet-enabled model offers the same unlimited calling with five gigabytes of data for $60 per month or 10 GB of data for $80 per month. No contract is required for the offering.
—Regional operator Ntelos ratcheted up the price war for Apple’s latest iPhone 6 and 6 Plus devices, announcing it will offer the 16 GB version of the former for $100 and similar version of the latter for $200, both with a two-year contract. That pricing is $100 lower than what the same devices are being offered by nationwide operators.
Ntelos began offering the latest iPhone models on Sept. 26, one week after the device hit the market. Ntelos was one of several regional wireless operators that offered previous iPhone models at lower prices than their larger competitors.
Additional carrier news can be found on the RCR Wireless News “Carriers” page.
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