Taiwanese phone firm HTC is to launch a Google Android phone in mainland China, in a partnership with giant firm China Mobile.
The phone is part of HTC’s “Magic” range of phones. While it already sells its cells in mainland China, this deal is likely to be a very big deal, as China Mobile has a user base of something like half A billion subscribers.
While HTC was first out of the starting gate with an Android based phone, it faces competition from a number of other vendors including LG and Samsung.
And the Android phone is not going to be cheap. According to reports it could cost as much as $730, which means it’s going to have to be a very smart phone indeed.
The phone is likely to be called the Ophone, which is phonetically similar to the Iphone although they are no relation. If they don’t already exist, expect other Iphone phonetic clones such as Aphone, Ephone, Uphone and Yphone.
Apple doesn’t sell the Iphone in China yet. But it will, it will. The HTC Ophone is likely to start shipping in the next month or so.
