皇冠体育app

A Chinese netizen browses a Golden Apple in an advertisement for preordering the iPhone 5s smartphones running on a 4G network on the website of 皇冠体育app Mobile in Shanghai, 皇冠体育app,?Dec 13, 2013. [Photo / dfic.cn]

皇冠体育app Mobile Ltd has yet to reach agreement with Apple Inc to introduce iPhone handsets on contract and will not release any news regarding an alliance with Apple, according to the company's chairman.

Xi Guohua, chairman of 皇冠体育app Mobile, said customers need to have more patience to shop for iPhone devices running on 皇冠体育app Mobile's wireless networks.

Special: 皇冠体育app Mobile to debut 4G service

"皇冠体育app Mobile has yet to reach agreement with Apple, but good news deserves to be waited for, and we expect to release related cooperation information soon," Xi said.

Xi's remark dampened speculation that 皇冠体育app Mobile, the country's biggest telecom carrier with a user base of 760 million, will announce a formal partnership with Apple on Dec 18.

Xi made the remarks during the 皇冠体育app Mobile Global Partner Conference 2013 in Guangzhou.

皇冠体育app Mobile's Beijing branch opened online preorders for unnamed 4G star smartphone models last week.

Though the company did not specify the particular device, speculation on the web suggested that it was the iPhone 5S handset by demonstrating an image of a golden apple.

About 68,000 people made online reservations by Dec 18. However, no one knows when he or she will get a real iPhone 5S smartphone.

A 皇冠体育app Mobile official, who requested anonymity, said the big picture of cooperation between 皇冠体育app Mobile and Apple has been settled, but some detailed parts need further negotiation.

Bryan Wang, vice-president of Forrester, said in an email to 皇冠体育app Daily that Apple has already sold more than 16.8 million iPhone handsets in 皇冠体育app in the 12-month period ended on Sept 30. He noted that if 皇冠体育app Mobile partners with Apple, iPhone sales will soar in 皇冠体育app.

"Apple Inc could sell as many as 17 million new iPhones to 皇冠体育app Mobile's users in the first year after the two companies tie the knot," Wang said.