China Telecom, the 3rd largest wireless carrier in the world’s largest market, has begun taking pre-orders for the iPhone 5, a member of the customer service staff at the company’s Beijing branch confirmed Sunday.
According to Global Times, China Telecom — which just happens to be the smallest of the wireless carriers in China — confirmed on Sunday that the iPhone 5 would be going on sale “sometime in December,” although an exact date wasn’t mentioned. A China Telecom customer service rep told a Global Times reporter, “We’ll contact you immediately if the iPhone 5 hits our shelves.”
China Unicom, the first mainland China carrier to sell the iPhone in 2009, has not announced when they will begin carrying the newest iPhone. The largest carrier, China Mobile, does not as yet carry the iPhone, but is reported to be working to sign a deal with Apple in order to carry the device in 2013.
