Google's Android mobile phone operating system is set to make its legal debut in China next month when China Mobile launches specially adapted handsets.
Taiwan-based handest manufacturer HTC said China Mobile would start selling a customised version of the HTC Magic, a handset based on Google's Android operating system, through its stores.
Analysts believe that a successful launch of a high-end handset for China Mobile subscribers could help remove hurdles to the entry of similar handsets such as the iPhone into the country – the world's largest mobile market.
Apple has negotiated for months with China Unicom, China Mobile's smaller rival, to introduce the iPhone to China, but industry executives say regulators have sought to hold back an agreement until China Mobile has a device that would allow it to compete for 3G customers. Android-based handsets and iPhones have long been available in China through “grey imports” – consumers can buy the G1, a phone custom-made for Deutsche Telekom by HTC, and the iPhone in any electronics retail chain. But none of these sales are strictly legal as China bans WiFi handsets from its market unless they are also compatible with WAPI, a local wireless standard. Also, consumers cannot get these handsets directly through their mobile operators, and the operators cannot subsidise them.
The Chinese government hopes to balance the big three mobile operators – China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom – against each other as they roll out 3G services following the issue of licenses in January.
谷歌ANDROID手机将登陆中国
谷歌(Google)的Android手机操作系统下月将首次在中国合法地公开亮相，届时中国移动(China Mobile)将推出经过专门调整的Android手机。
总部位于台湾的手机制造商宏达电(HTC)表示，中国移动将通过其门店开始销售一款定制版的HTC Magic手机，这款手机使用的是谷歌的Android操作系统。
分析人士认为，如果向中国移动用户推出高端手机获得成功，将有助于消除iPhone等类似手机进入中国的障碍。中国是全球最大的手机市场。
苹果公司(Apple)已与中国联通（China Unicom,中国移动规模较小的竞争对手）谈判数月，准备将iPhone引入中国。但业内高管表示，中国监管机构一直在寻求阻止双方达成协议，直到中国移动拥有能够用来争夺3G用户的手机产品。Android手机和iPhone早就通过半黑市的渠道进入中国，消费者可以在任何电子产品零售连锁店买到G1和iPhone，前者是宏达电为德国电信(Deutsche Telekom)定制的一款手机。但严格说来，这些销售行为都是非法的，因为中国市场禁止WiFi手机，除非它们也符合中国本土的WAPI无线标准。此外，消费者无法从其移动运营商那里直接得到这些手机，运营商不能给予价格折扣。
在1月份发放3G牌照之后，中国三大移动运营商——中国移动、中国联通和中国电信(China Telecom)——开始推出3G服务，而中国政府希望在这三家公司之间搞平衡。
[ 此帖被杀出个黎明在2009-05-28 16:06重新编辑 ]
