China Unicom -- Engadget Mobile

iPhone facing potential trademark issues in China?

by Donald Melanson, posted Jul 2nd 2009 at 3:34PM

Apple's on-again, off-again deal with China Unicom to officially bring the iPhone to China may still be up in the air, but it looks like it could now also be facing some trademark issues that could potentially further hold up its release. Apparently, China's Hanwang Technology owns the trademark for "i-phone" in the country, which could force Apple to make a deal with 'em before it enters the market (sound familiar?). Interestingly, Apple does actually own an "iPhone" trademark in China, but it apparently only covers computer hardware and software, while Hanwang's trademark covers mobile phones. According to Hanwang, however, the two aren't actually in talks just yet, and it's not saying what it plans to do if Apple decides to go crazy and announce a move into China without its blessing.

[Via mocoNews.net]

Alcatel bringing 7.2Mbps WinMo beast to China Unicom's Wo network

by Chris Ziegler, posted May 27th 2009 at 4:49AM

By and large, China's networks are dominated by GPRS-only devices that make up in crazy user interfaces (and often even crazier designs) what they lack in data speed. Carriers over there are finally in full swing rolling out a variety of 3G networks, though -- EV-DO, HSPA, TD-SCDMA, you name it -- which should make mobile browsing a whole lot more satisfying of an experience when you're headed to that posh Shanghai office with a view. Anyhow, it seems that Alcatel is prepping a WinMo 6.1-powered side slider with 7.2Mbps HSDPA just for China Unicom's nascent Wo network, which is an encouraging sign that Wo's users are going to have decent hardware in their hands to match the blazing speeds. It's got a WQVGA display, AGPS, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and pretty much every other modern smartphone amenity, which marks the first time in a long time (ever?) that we've expressed a tinge of envy for a domestic Chinese handset. Wo, Alcatel -- our hats go off to you on this one.

[Via Unwired View]

China Unicom gets rolling with 3G trials

by Chris Ziegler, posted May 22nd 2009 at 9:53AM

Following China Telecom and China Mobile, China Unicom has now become the last of the big three Chinese operators to begin trials of its 3G network -- christened "Wo" -- with some 55 test markets lighting up this week. Happily, the trials are purely UMTS / HSPA, which means you won't need a pesky, proprietary TD-SCDMA handset to take advantage; unfortunately, though, regular commercial service won't begin until the end of the year. In the meantime, Unicom is expecting an expansion in the September time frame that would see the high-speed service expand to some 284 cities.

China Unicom's 3G network to be called "Wo"

by Chris Ziegler, posted May 4th 2009 at 11:54PM

We all had that "whoa" moment the first time we browsed, streamed, or torrented off a 3G network -- well, okay, many of us didn't have a "whoa" moment, but stay with us here: China Unicom has officially branded its nascent 3G offering as "Wo," which we think is a pretty cool and appropriate name all things considered. For comparison's sake, this lines up with China Telecom's "e-surfing" brand and China Mobile's "G3" -- so yeah, you might be able to argue that Unicom didn't have any serious competition in the marketing department. Wo's trials kick off on May 17 in 55 markets while construction simultaneously begins on the second round of launches, so it looks like China's finally getting really real with this 3G jazz. Cheers to that, we say.

China Mobile planning to subvert Unicom's iPhone launch with the OPhone?

by Tim Stevens, posted Apr 20th 2009 at 10:26AM

We've known for some time that China Mobile was planning to launch the KIRFy OPhone from Lenovo. Now, with word on the street that China Unicom has snagged the iPhone in that provider's home turf, a report from DigiTimes is suggesting that China Mobile might be trying to undermine the competition's supposed June iPhone launch by dropping the OPhone a month earlier. That sounds sensible enough, but are people there so eager for iPhone they'd jump on the imitation rather than wait another month for the real thing? We'll find out soon enough.

[Image courtesy of modmyGphone]

China Unicom still not confirmed as Chinese iPhone provider

by Tim Stevens, posted Mar 31st 2009 at 6:59AM

Remember how last week China Unicom brazenly threw up product images for the iPhone and a few other smartphones, implying that in the very near future it would be providing service to them? Well, funny story: turns out the company's chairman, Chang Xiaobing, is now saying negotiations are actually still ongoing with Apple and that the two have a good bit of wheeling and dealing left to do. What could they possibly still be discussing? According to Barron's, the debates focus on two primary issues: a Chinese law banning WiFi use in mobile phones; and Unicom's insistence on installing its own software on the iPhone, including some sort of *gasp* non-iTunes media player. How long now until these issues are resolved? Barron's is citing research firm Wedge Partners, who indicates it may not be until the end of the year. Better stick with those gray-market imports, folks.

Read -- Negotiations still under way
Read -- Barron's

China Unicom apparently nabs another: Nokia's N97

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 25th 2009 at 5:59PM

We're a bit curious as to why China Unicom has suddenly grown fond of some of the world's hottest handsets, but we couldn't help but notice that Nokia's N97 has appeared on the carrier's website (a first for this handset) alongside the iPhone 3G and HTC G1. 'Course, Sony Ericsson's XPERIA X1 and Nokia's E71 are right there as well, so it's tough to say if this means these phones are coming soon or if they just look really nice on its website. Don't get your hopes up too high, but feel free to pester your local branch as often as you'd like until you get a square answer.

[Via TamsS60]

Unicom confirmed as Chinese iPhone / G1 provider?

by Tim Stevens, posted Mar 25th 2009 at 8:12AM

Unicom confirmed as Chinese iPhone provider?

It's been a long, arduous road to Shanghai for the iPhone, but its trip may finally be at an end. Sure, there are already thousands of the things in the pockets and purses of trendy Chinese right now, but an official launch there has taken ages. Last summer it was looking like China Mobile had scored the deal with Apple, but word is now that China Unicom may have completed the upset, posting up a page on its site detailing the iPhone's specs and including the phone in its list of supported headsets. The company hasn't officially confirmed the phone's availability or anything else, but word on the streets of Shanghai is that the phone will be launched there on May 17th.

Update: Looks like it has posted specs for the G1 as well, albeit complete with T-Mobile branding. Hmm. [Thanks, Sze!]

[Via JLM Pacific Epoch; thanks, Scott]

China finally awards 3G licenses, winners no surprise

by Chris Ziegler, posted Jan 7th 2009 at 12:29PM

If you thought Vodafone or Telefonica would somehow emerge as a big winner in China's 3G spectrum launch... well, yeah, think again. China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom have now been armed with licenses for TD-SCDMA, WCDMA (UMTS and HSPA that is), and CDMA2000 / EV-DO, respectively, meaning the world's largest carrier will be rolling out China's homegrown 3G standard -- not to say Unicom's or Telecom's footprints will be anything to sneeze at, either. In fact, in the long term, it's suggested that Unicom and Telecom will actually be able to grow faster since they're using standards that other countries have actually heard of, but for the next few years, Mobile's still the safe bet if you absolutely, positively must have the most insane Chinese coverage available.

[Via mocoNews]

China to abandon UMB, snag LTE within 2 to 3 years

by Chris Ziegler, posted Jun 19th 2008 at 3:48AM

Fresh in the wake of China's massive wireless restructuring, execs are already on the offensive with fightin' words that suggest true, standards-based 4G could be coming sooner rather than later. Though he says EV-DO Rev. A is still in the cards for the short term, China Telecom's CEO says that GSM and CDMA networks alike will all converge to LTE in the country, thus signalling the abandonment of the CDMA-favored UMB migration path by yet another of the world's wireless juggernauts. All told, it's looking promising that the overwhelming majority of the world's countries will be on the same cellular technology page within the next decade or so -- but who would've thought the creator of TD-SCDMA would commit to being one of the first to flip the switch?

[Via IntoMobile]

China Unicom to fetch iPhone 3G in August?

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 18th 2008 at 8:21AM

Chalk this one up as just another rumor for now, but whispers around the Chinese web have it that China Unicom could be netting Apple's latest handset (yeah, that 3G one) this August. If you'll recall, Steve had issues in the past getting Chinese carriers to buy into his demanding revenue sharing model, but now that those days are gone, we suspect talks may go a little smoother. And c'mon, Apple didn't add in Chinese character recognition for kicks and giggles, now did it? As of now, China Mobile has yet to make a peep on the rumblings, but we've only got a few months before finding out either way.

[Via IntoMobile]

China Unicom takes the hint, buys China Netcom

by Chris Ziegler, posted Jun 2nd 2008 at 6:02PM

Taking a cue from the government to consolidate resources in an effort to get the 3G show on the road, China's China Unicom has kicked off a deal with China Netcom to buy out the landline carrier in a stock swap valued at a staggering $56 billion; the whole thing is expected to close by the end of the year. Separately, China Telecom will swipe China Unicom's CDMA network for about $6.3 billion, setting the stage for a new carrier alignment in the country that'll see three companies align as the 3G powerhouses to serve a grand total of 1.3 billion people. Meanwhile, China Mobile is plodding right along with its TD-SCDMA rollout for the Olympics, so there's really no telling how many standards Chinese subscribers will end up dealing with when all is said and done.

[Via mocoNews]

Read - China Unicom / China Netcom deal
Read - China Unicom / China Telecom deal

China to issue 3G licenses, calls for Unicom / Netcom merger

by Darren Murph, posted May 25th 2008 at 4:52AM

This just in: don't believe anything you hear regarding an official 3G rollout date in China. After quite a bit of rigmarole, the Chinese government has finally announced that it will issue a trio of 3G licenses. Notably, the announcement comes with a bit of baggage -- it's also calling for a merger between China Unicom and Netcom, two of its four biggest telecommunications providers. Furthermore, it stated that it would call on China Telecom, the nation's largest fixed-line carrier, to "purchase Unicom's CDMA network," all leading to a massive shuffle that should position three of the nation's telecom juggernauts to eventually offer high-speed wireless to a staggering 1.3 billion people. Unfortunately (though not unexpectedly), there's no time frame given for implementation, but some analysts are asserting that "a full launch of 3G services is [still] years away." Baby steps are better than no steps, we reckon.

[Thanks, James]

Samsung's SCH-W599 enjoys both GSM / CDMA connectivity, long walks in park

by Sean Cooper, posted Apr 18th 2008 at 11:43AM

Samsung's dual-mode SCH-W599 has made an appearance today and seems destined for China's China Unicom network. This handset sports both 800MHz CDMA and also dual-band GSM -- so yeah, not so terribly useful over here -- 2 megapixel camera, FM radio, Bluetooth, and a 2.4-inch touchscreen with handwriting recognition. Form factor is pretty standard Samsung fare, though thicker than we've seen from them in recent efforts. Other notables include a dual-sim slot under the bonnet and VibTonz feedback from the touchscreen. We're big on haptics round these parts, so we've got our collective fingers crossed we'll be seeing more of this in the near future, right Samsung?

[Via Unwired View]

China's largest carrier ends talks for Apple iPhone

by Thomas Ricker, posted Jan 14th 2008 at 2:56AM

It wouldn't be the first time a company has used the press to bolster their negotiating position. Nevertheless, after saying the "iPhone model was not suitable for China" back in November, a spokesperson for China Mobile now says they've "terminated" discussions with Apple to bring the iPhone to China. China's largest carrier gave no reasons for the decision though the fee sharing agreement is likely a contributing factor. Well Steve, there's always China Unicom.