Since its inception into the Chinese marketplace, Apple’s iPhone has been restricted from incorporating a Wi-Fi capability.
That may be about to change as this week, Chinese regulators issued a network access license for an Apple iPhone that is equipped to use the China-developed wireless LAN security protocol, WAPI (WLAN Authentication and Privacy Infrastructure). China’s Telecommunications Equipment and Certification Center (TENAA) published photos of the phone, which appears to be an iPhone 3G, on its Website.
Per Macworld, representatives from Apple and China Telecom, the local carrier that Apple has selected as its partner, would not comment on the device’s capabilities, nor when it would go on sale.
When iPhones began officially entering the Chinese market in 2009, Apple was forced to disable their Wi-Fi capabilities to comply with Chinese laws. At the time, Chinese regulators would only allow mobile phones using the Chinese WAPI protocol for secure wireless access.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.