The chairman of China Mobile has detailed the operator’s plans in the smartphone arena, stating that the firm aims to increase its range of devices based on its Ophone operating system, as well as confirming that it is in talks with Apple regarding distribution of the iPhone.
Despite reports that the Ophone has seen a significant lack of consumer support, used by a mere 1% of devices in the Chinese market, chairman Wang Jianzhou has stated that “Ophone is the combination of Android and China Mobile’s services...They are welcomed by our customers. We will develop more Ophones and we [have] got the support from different vendors.”
Chairman Wang added that China Mobile was looking to reach an agreement over the launch of the iPhone in China, saying “In terms of iPhone, we continue the discussion and negotiations with Apple.”
China Mobile’s Ophone platform has been at the centre of speculation recently, with reports indicating that the operator was looking to encourage adoption of the OS via an “innovation alliance”. The platform is based on Android, and there have been suggestions that China Mobile could bring its OS more in line with Google’s.
