Apple is only a few steps away from capturing the Chinese market. Apple has recently been accorded a five year approval as wireless transmitting equipment by the Chinese government. The approval has to be coupled with a network access license for which Apple is known to have applied recently.

It appears that the application has been made for a GSM license. However the popular network in China runs on TD-SCDMA. Another major hurdle appears to be the Wi-Fi capabilities. China does not permit the use of Wi-Fi capabilities. Apple wanted the phone to be equipped with Wi-Fi capabilities. The Chinese government is known to have put its foot down and not permitted Wi-Fi enabled phones.

Apple has not yet signeed up with a carrier in China. If rumors were to be believed then it is likely to partner with China Unicom, a GSM-based 3G network. The iPhone will be customized to suit the Chinese users and the local regulations. The use of the trademark “iPhone” also seems to be in dispute. However Apple is likely to get over these irritants and soon capture the last Asian bastion.

The entry of the iPhone in China will open new vistas to the developer fraternity. The Chinese market has a vast potential for apps and the developers should be looking up towards making more apps for the Chinese.