New photos published by Sina Technology show a WCDMA version of the iPhone 3GS ready for use on China Unicom’s network. The pictures show the phone connected to Unicom’s 3G network, and appear to confirm that the device lacks Wi-Fi, as its menu option is notably missing from the Settings application. iPhone in China reports that the phone displays a message on boot up that, roughly translated, says “Dear user, you are welcome to use the China Unicom’s business,” and that it is unclear whether the country will be receiving the 32GB 3GS or 8GB 3G models as well; the phone pictured is a 16GB model. A report from earlier this week stated that Apple and China Unicom had reached a preliminary agreement for exclusive sales of the iPhone in China, but a Unicom spokeswoman quickly released a statement saying that “[d]iscussions are still ongoing, we have not reached any formal agreement.”
Charles Starrett
Charles Starrett was a senior editor at iLounge. He's been covering the iPod, iPhone, and iPad since their inception. He has written numerous articles and reviews, and his work has been featured in multiple publications.