China Tells

根据国家工信部的规定，所有带有WiFi功能的手机都必须先装中国无线局域网标准WAPI，但自傲的苹果公司是否同意装WAPI这是个很大的问题。因此，初期这个问题只可能搁浅，即iPhone手机不装WiFi。

另有报道称，苹果公司已向泰尔实验室送检一款型号为A3124的3G版iPhone手机，知情人士透露，这款手机肯定不带WiFi功能。

Apple may have blinked first in the ongoing battle with the Chinese government to allow the company to sell a Wi-Fi-enabled iPhone in that country.

The back-and-forth battle between Apple and China’s Ministry of Industry and Information may be coming to a close. According to a BusinessWeek report, Apple has applied for a Network Access License that would allow the company to begin selling the iPhone without Wi-Fi.

In typical fashion, Apple has reportedly been hard-nosed in negotiations with the Chinese government over the iPhone. However, the government has been just as hard-nosed, refusing to allow Apple to sell the Wi-Fi-enabled phone in China.

AppleInsider guesstimates that the approval process for the iPhone would take four to six months, making a potential launch date no later than January 2010.

Of course, the iPhone is being used in many countries where it is not officially sold, China being one of them. The ability to unlock the phones and use them on any compatible network has made the iPhone popular worldwide.

Bringing a Chinese company, speculated to be China Unicom, on board as an official carrier would enable Apple to open the iPhone to a huge market of potential growth. It’s unclear what the lack of Wi-Fi will do for the popularity of the smartphone, but it’s obviously a concession that Apple felt was worth making.