Unicom has agreed to buy iPhones from Apple for 3,000 yuan each, the Shanghai Securities News quoted sources as saying.

The mobile firm will guarantee total revenue of at least 5 billion yuan a year for Apple after committing to buy one to two million phones annually.

The deal does not require Unicom to share any of the revenue it generates from mobile-data charges with Apple, reports said.

Merrill Lynch analyst Cynthia Meng believes Unicom will introduce the 16-gigabyte version of the iPhone 3GS in September or October, potentially at an “affordable mid-range” price below 3,000 yuan for customers who commit to a contract.

Unicom could launch the 32-gigabyte version of the iPhone 3GS by the end of the year, she said.

Source : Konaxis