Apple Inc’s new iPad has gained a network access license for the Chinese mainland, a stepthat will pave the way for the device to be sold here.
According to China’s Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center website, the licensewas issued for the Apple device on Monday. Without it, the company could not legally sell thenew iPad in the Chinese mainland.
The device, which has the model number ”A1430″, is compatible with both the fourth-generation standard for wireless networks, or 4G, and the 3G network operated by Apple’sofficial local telecom partner, China Unicom Ltd.
Apple began selling the new device in March in many countries and regions including theUnited States and Japan. Still, the latest iPad has never legally appeared in stores in theChinese mainland, which is the biggest market for Apple products outside of the US.
Apple’s previous versions of the iPad hold a roughly 80 percent share of the Chinese marketfor tablet PCs, according to figures from the research company Analysys International. TheChinese PC company Lenovo is also a strong competitor in that market and is considered to bea strong rival of the US company, the research company said.
China is expected to ship 4.5 million tablet PCs this year,according to the US-based research company InternationalData Corp.
According to China’s biggest portal website, Sina.com,Apple postponed introducing the new iPad to the mainlandbecause of its recent involvement in a trademark lawsuitwith a Chinese company.
The Guangdong Provincial High People’s Court is stillhandling the trademark dispute, which was initiated byProview Technology Shenzhen Co Ltd.
Some local governments have meanwhile been confiscatingApple iPads, giving rise to concerns that the company’snewest product won’t be sold in the Chinese mainland.
To settle the trademark dispute, the US company has offered compensation to ProviewTechnology, Xie Xianghui, a lawyer for Proview, said recently. He said the Guangdong court istrying to mediate the dispute and that Apple and Proview are negotiating a settlement.
Apple’s partner China Unicom has not released a schedule showing when the new iPad is tostart being sold in the mainland. The previous version of the iPad, when it was released, cameonto the market a couple weeks after it had received a network access license.
Apple’s first mainland store opened in Beijing’s Sanlitun area in 2008, and China is the sourceof about 10 percent of the company’s sales revenue, according to Tim Cook, company CEO.