Despite the fact that the government has yet to issue 4G licenses to telecom carriers, China Mobile’s Beijing branch started sales of 4G smartphones with two models on offer－Sony’s M35T and Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Note 2. Customers do not need to change their phone numbers but just have to get a new SIM card for their 4G handsets. However, the coverage of 4G networks in Beijing is limited, said Gao Shu, Spokeswoman for China Mobile’s Beijing branch. Only people in areas inside the capital’s Third Ring Road will be able to access the network. Some Chinese cities, including Guangzhou and Hangzhou, have also started offering 4G services on a trial basis. China Mobile－the only operator in the country currently testing 4G networks－has adopted the domestic Time Division-Long Term Evolution (TD-LTE) 4G technology. The lack of mature 4G smartphones has long been seen as a major obstacle for the expansion of China Mobile’s 4G business, but the situation has improved in recent months. China Mobile’s net profit dropped 9% in the third quarter partly due to the increasing challenges posed by mobile internet applications. 4G could help the carrier to attract more high-end users from rivals. The launch of 4G services in China will definitely be a new driver for the growth of the nation’s smartphone market, inciting people to buy new phones. Ryan Reith, Program Director at IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, said that China has become one of the fastest-growing smartphone markets in the world, accounting for more than one-third of total shipments in the third quarter of the year, the China Daily reports. China is carrying out 4G network tests in 10 cities, including Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou.

China Mobile will start 4G services on December 18 with a new brand “He”, meaning harmonious in Chinese. China is expected to issue licenses for 4G before the telco’s new services start. Users in Beijing, Guangzhou and Chongqing will be the first to enjoy commercial 4G. Shanghai, which is still building a citywide 4G network, will launch the services later. 4G phone services will become rapidly popular thanks to the low cost of 4G phones, according to Li Yue, China Mobile’s President, who expects some 4G phones priced below CNY1,000 to appear in the second half of next year. Apple is also set to introduce iPhones supporting the 4G network in China on December 18.