China Mobile aims to be among first mobile operators with iPhone 6

China Mobile, the world's largest wireless network operator by number of subscribers, says it will be one of the first operators to offer Apple's iPhone 6, which is expected to be launched later this year.

"China Mobile will be among the first batch of operators to provide the new iPhone," chairman Xi Guohua told a press conference in Hong Kong yesterday.

"This is a must. Apple has attached great importance to the customers of China Mobile."

Total subscribers of the Beijing-headquartered company reached 790 million in the first half of this year, 23.4 million more than at the end of last year.

Users of its 4G services reached 20.4 million by the end of last month, up from 13.9 million in June.

Xi said the contribution of 4G business to the company was already noticeable, and the impact would be more obvious in the second half.

"The second half will be good," he said. "Our 4G infrastructure network will be more mature, and the handsets in the market will be more diversified and cheaper."