Apple reportedly cleared for China Mobile iPhone partnership

Apple did not announce a partnership with China Mobile at its iPhone event Tuesday, but the tech company has reportedly received the final license necessary to begin selling its smartphone through China’s largest cellular carrier.

The Chinese Telecom Equipment Certification Center has granted Apple a network license that would allow its device to run on China Mobile, according to the Wall Street Journal.

That could be an indication that Apple will indeed begin selling its phones with the carrier, which has 700 million subscribers, or seven times the number of Verizon Wireless.

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That’s a big deal for Apple, which has previously been limited to selling its devices through China Unicorn and China Telecom, two of China Mobile’s smaller rivals.

Apple appears to be making a big push to succeed in China, where its devices have failed to catch on the same way they have in other markets.

The company will be putting its new devices on sale there at the same time as they will be offered in the U.S., on Sept. 20. Apple on Tuesday also introduced a low-cost iPhone, the iPhone 5C, in order to attract customers in markets such as China.

Apple has not officially confirmed its deal with China Mobile, but if it becomes official, it would mean that Apple for the first time is selling its devices through China’s top three carriers.

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