China Mobile targets mass market with no iPhone 6 date in sight

China Mobile will focus on selling cheaper phones, with the world's largest carrier saying it didn't know when Apple's iPhone 6 would be available to its mainland customers.

China Mobile would offer unsubsidised phones that work on fourth-generation networks for less than 600 yuan (HK$755) this quarter, Wang Xiaoyun, general manager of its technology department, told an industry forum in Hsinchu, Taiwan, yesterday. About 70 per cent of 4G devices would cost less than 1,000 yuan by the end of this year, she said.

"The direction of our development is to completely focus on the mass market," chairman Xi Guohua said.

"We have 4G devices selling for 1,000 yuan. I believe, subsidy or no subsidy, discount or no discount, the common person will be able to appreciate this."

Apple took orders for four million of its latest smartphone in the first 24 hours, the US company said yesterday.

Xi said he had no information on when the iPhone 6 would be available to carriers on the mainland. Apple unveiled the new device this month, with shipments to markets including the US, Hong Kong, Australia and Japan to start on Friday. Apple may have to wait until next year to get approval for new iPhones on the mainland after failing to reach agreement with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology this month, the 21st Century Business Herald reported, citing an unidentified person close to Apple.