Apple’s deal with China Mobile to sell iPhones won’t be limited to just smartphones, but will entail a broader cooperation between the two companies, the chairman of the world’s largest carrier said Wednesday.
China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua said that already multi-millions of Apple’s iPhones have been ordered by its customers, signaling strong demand for the device. Apple’s iPhones will begin selling at China Mobile, the world’s largest carrier by subscribers, starting Friday.
Speaking in a small media briefing to Chinese media and The Wall Street Journal, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said he is “incredibly optimistic” about the outcome of the cooperation with the Chinese carrier.
“We’ve gotten to know each other….today is a beginning, and I think there are lots more things our companies can do together in the future,” Cook said.
Cook also added later that 57 percent of Chinese internet browsers are using iOS platform.
The new cooperation with China Mobile is the last piece of the puzzle for Apple in the country, officially making the iPhones available through all three of China’s state-run telecom carriers. Though neither Apple nor China Mobile would comment on the exact terms of the deal, Apple is likely to get a considerable bump from China Mobile, which analysts expect to spend generously on marketing and handset subsidies to sell the iPhones.
The cooperation also massively expands the reach of Apple’s sales channels in China, making the iPhones available in China Mobile’s thousands of stores that range across the country from large cities to tiny hamlets.
This article originally appeared on MarketWatch.com.