- China Mobile plans to float a tender for low-price and entry-level 3G mobile phones at some point in June 2011, inclusive of desktop cordless phones, the Sina Tech News reported on June 3. China Mobile is projected to purchase seven million entry-level and low-price 3G mobile phones and three million desktop cordless phones, according to the same source. This mobile phone procurement process will be divided into two phases. During the first phase, China Mobile plans to purchase three million mobile phones, including entry-level and low-price models. In the second phase, China Mobile will buy four million mobile phones, which not only include entry-level and low-price models but also comprise low-price Smartphones, according again to the Sina Tech News. In February 2011, China Mobile already launched a purchase tender for 12.2 million high-end 3G mobile phones.
In addition, China Mobile also plans to purchase three million desktop cordless phones, 1.8 million of which will feature black and white displays, 200,000 of which will feature color displays; 500,000 of which will be handset cordless phones with black and white displays, 300,000 of which will with color displays; around 100,000 of which will be standard office cordless phones and 100,000 of which will be enhanced office cordless phones, according to the same source.
- With China Mobile and China Telecom both competing with China Unicom over the right to sell Apple's iPhone in China, China Unicom - the sole seller of Apple's iPhone in China - recently announced that the company plans to launch a new iPhone 3GS 8GB/mobile service bundle, beginning in early June, the Sina News reported on May 31. China Unicom stated that under a two-year contract plan, with monthly phone subscription fees ranged between 226 RMB (US$34.8 ; US$1 = 6.5 RMB) and 886 RMB (US$136.3) and a pre-deposit of 3,999 RMB (US$615.2), mobile users can get iPhone 3GS 8GB for free, according to the same source. The pre-deposit will be refunded within 24 months.
- China Telecom recently announced that the company's mobile phones support mobile payments for transport in Beijing, the Sina Tech News reported. China Telecom's mobile phones which are pre-embedded with a card, dubbed the e-Surfing Traffic Card, allow China Telecom users to pay for bus and subway fares. In addition, users can also buy goods from certain merchants by swiping their mobile phone, according to the same source.