DHAKA: Major Apple iPhone assembler Foxconn has shipped around 1.4 million iPhone 5S devices to China Mobile recently.

This initial shipment, which does not represent the total sales at China Mobile for January, comes ahead of China Mobile’s iPhone launch on 17 January, the Wall Street Journal writes citing an unnamed source familiar with the matter, reports telecompaper.com.

The initial batch may help to gauge early demand for iPhones from China Mobile. The company has been taking pre-orders for the iPhone since 25 December.

China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua said millions of Apple’s iPhones already have been ordered by the carrier’s customers.

Speaking at a media briefing, Apple CEO Tim Cook said he is ‘incredibly optimistic’ about the outcome of the cooperation with the Chinese carrier and expects it to lead to further work together.

He added that Apple’s sales already hit a record high in Greater China in the fiscal first quarter.

BDST: 1811 HRS, JAN 15, 2014
Edited by Robab Rosan, Current Affairs Editor