Hasta La Gadget!

Apple’s flagship for 2013 is the iPhone 5s, although the company did release an iPhone 5c which was a slightly less powerful and cheaper model, although not by much. The handset featured a plastic body instead of the aluminum unibody used on the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s, allowing Apple to sell the handset for less. Unfortunately it would seem as though the iPhone 5c is not selling as well as Apple had intended, and according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities, this is the reason that the deal with China Mobile has yet to be finalized.

According to Kuo, the weaker than expected sales of the iPhone 5c could trigger a re-negotiation between Apple and China Mobile, although he claims that the deal could be nearing an end. The original plan was that the iPhone 5c would account for 30% of the sales of iPhones on China Mobile’s network, but Kuo has since revised his numbers and now only estimates that Apple will only ship 1-1.5 million iPhone 5c units in the current quarter.

While China Mobile has confirmed that they are in talks with Apple, they have not confirmed a release date for the iPhone on their network, although recently a bunch of rumors seemed to have suggested that the deal between both companies had concluded and that we might expect iPhones anytime soon. With estimates of an additional 12 million iPhones sold for 2014, it is understandable that Apple would want to close a deal with China Mobile who numbers over 750 million subscribers, making them one of the largest carriers in the world.

Lower Than Expected iPhone 5c Sales Could Have Caused China Mobile Negotiations Delay original content from Ubergizmo.

Speculation about the iPhone launch on China Mobile has been around this entire year, but so far no official announcement has been made yet. Recently there have been a barrage of rumors pointing to an imminent launch, with media outfits like The Wall Street Journal confirming the launch of iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c on China Mobile “around December 18th.” China’s official news agency also pegged the launch on this very day, the day China Mobile switches on its commercial 4G service. However the carrier proved these rumors false today as it made no announcement of an iPhone launch. Instead, it said that talks with Apple are currently underway and both parties have not reached an agreement as yet.

Addressing the press today, China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua specifically cleared up that the carrier had no announcement to make on the iPhone deal with Apple. This was later confirmed in the day by Ge Qi, a spokesman for China Mobile. So as it stands right now, the iPhone’s won’t be launched for the carrier’s over 750 million subscribers. This launch is going to be a big one for Apple, with analysts expecting an additional $10 billion in yearly revenue coming from China Mobile subscribers alone. Analysts also predict that as many as 12 million iPhones can be sold on the carrier in 2014.

China Mobile Still In Talks With Apple For The iPhone original content from Ubergizmo.

With the holiday season fast approaching, people are expected to buy a lot of presents, which means that they will be spending a lot of money on the latest and greatest products. Companies obviously want to capitalize on the season’s shopping frenzy, so they offer attractive deals and discounts to attract more customers. T-Mobile has tried to get a leg up on its rivals by offering the new iPhones for $0 upfront. Starting today, the 16GB iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c models can be purchased on a Simple Choice Plan for $0 down.

That said, customers will have to make 24 equal monthly payments of $27 and $22.91 for the 16GB iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c respectively. The discount pricing also extends to the iPads. 16GB models of the iPad Air, iPad mini and iPad mini with Retina display can be purchased for $0 down, with 24 equal monthly payments of $26.25, $17.91 and $22.08 respectively. This promotion is being run for a limited time, so if you’re in the market for any of these products and don’t mind picking one up from T-Mobile, its the best time to go ahead with the purchase. ”Well-qualified new and existing” T-Mobile customers can take advantage of this promotion through participating T-Mobile retail stores, dealers as well as the carrier’s website.

T-Mobile iPhone Upfront Cost Now $0 For The Holiday Season original content from Ubergizmo.

Walmart, one of the world’s largest retailers, has been putting up the iPhone 5s as well as the supposedly budget iPhone, the iPhone 5c, on sale for quite some time already, and it seems that it is time for a slight change to be introduced. From this Friday onward, the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c will be made available via Walmart on its own contract-free carriers, namely Straight Talk Wireless and Net10 Wireless. You will not find them to be any cheaper or more expensive, as the prices have been matched to those found on the Apple Store where SIM-free iPhones are concerned.

This would mean an iPhone 5s 16GB from Walmart (which can be picked up in store only) will set you back by $650 a pop, while those who want to pick up an iPhone 5c 16GB (which can be purchased online) can do so for $550. Of course, if being on the cutting edge of Apple’s technology is not exactly high on your list of priorities, Walmart will also be offering the iPhone 4S 8GB for $450 a pop, where it can be picked up in store as well as online. Does this make your life easier? Perhaps the timing of it all has something to do with the upcoming holiday season…[Press Release]

Walmart To Sell iPhone 5s And iPhone 5c With No Contract Plans original content from Ubergizmo.

The excruciating wait for millions of China Mobile subscribers might finally end this Thursday, if the latest report from The Wall Street Journal is to be believed. It spotted an advertisement on the carrier’s website revealing that pre-orders for the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c will be accepted from Thursday, December 12th. Previously, the publication also reported that both China Mobile and Apple had finally signed the iPhone deal, however a spokesperson for the carrier quickly rubbished the report and said that while negotiations were ongoing, no deal had been reached as yet.

Even though a China Mobile spokeswoman declined to comment on the ad that went up on the website, the publication was told by a China Mobile customer representative that pre-orders for the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c will indeed begin on December 12th, ahead of the launch of China Mobile’s commercial 4G service on December 18th. The representative is also quoted as saying that the carrier is currently working on a pricing plan for the new iPhones and it hasn’t notified the customers representatives as yet about the price China Mobile intends to charge for Apple’s new smartphones. The ad also indicates that both new iPhones won’t be the only smartphones to support China Mobile’s 4G LTE network, the carrier is also offering TD-LTE compatible smartphones from Samsung and Sony.

China Mobile iPhone Pre-orders Reportedly Going Live This Thursday original content from Ubergizmo.