Apple signs deal with China Mobile to boost sales

Apple has reportedly signed a deal with world's largest carrier China Mobile, which is expected to help the tech giants boost its sales in China.

China Mobile has more than 760 million subscribers and has been one of the three networks to be awarded China's first 4G licences earlier this month.

According to the BBC, the US tech giant has been looking to boost its sales in China, the world's largest smartphone market, but has struggled amid growing competition from rivals.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said that China is an extremely important market for Apple and the company's partnership with China Mobile provides them an opportunity to bring iPhone to the customers of the world's largest network.

Despite Apple's interest in the Chinese market, the sales of previous iPhones have been marred due to a strong competition from rivals like Samsung and Lenovo, who have been manufacturing cheaper alternatives.

Analysts have estimated that Apple could sell 24 million iPhones next year to China Mobile customers alone.

The report said that earlier China Mobile subscribers have not been able to use Apple's iPhone because the firm's 3G technology was not compatible with Apple handsets, but the latest 4G network will work with the iPhone 5S and 5C.