Apple finally solves iPhone 4S connectivity issue in China

[dgstorm]

China has been a problematic country for Apple. First they couldn’t get in. And now that they have, they can’t seem to get a grip on the connectivity issues. China Mobile announced a while back that the iPhone 4S was incompatible with the China Mobile SIM cards, but that’s about to be water under the bridge now. According to this latest report, the issues has been identified and fixed.

The problem lay with the iPhone 4S’s GSM chips which were built only to support P frequency bands (885-915MHZ) and not E frequency bands (880-890MHz). The P band is mostly used in an outdoor environment, while the E is intended for indoor areas. Chinese customers moving in a non P area could cause loss of connectivity.

Now all devices manufactured after the 8th of February are fit to be integrated in China’s Mobile network. But, how about those unfortunate customers who bought the iPhone 4S before the date mentioned about? Well for them, Apple will have to work on a Chinese iOS update in order to fix issues for them too.

The fact that Apple is working hand in hand with China Mobile is extremely encouraging, since the two don’t currently hold an official agreement. China Mobile is one of the world’s largest mobile operator holding more than 650 million active subscribers. Things could soon change and we might see a partnership between the two, which would be good for Apple and good for consumers in China.

By Radu

Source: Mashable