MarketWatch is reporting that the way has been cleared for the iPhone to reach the largest mobile phone market in the world. According to Gao Songge, deputy director of China Mobile’s general department, the only thing holding up the deal with Apple was Apple’s insistence on requiring that China Mobile share revenues. Apple dropped those demands on Friday and now the iPhone is set to hit the Chinese market 540 million mobile users. There is no timetable set for a Chinese release of the iPhone. Yet with the prospect of Apple stores opening in mid-July and the introduction of 3G service in time for the Beijing Olympics, it might not be that far off.
If you find yourself in a long line at an Apple store in your local Mall, you'll more than likely need a snack. If you are lucky, you might find a Chick-fil-A in the food court. Chick-fil-A has announced its answer to the iPhone 3G by announcing a new promotion held all day July 11. Celebrate Cow Appreciation Day by wearing a cow costume and you'll get a free meal. 
If you or any of your friends see a cow in line for an iPhone 3G on July 11 we want to hear about it. Send us a photo. Now get a moooove on ya hear!
Like sands trickling through the hourglass, so are the details of the iPhone 3G. With two weeks to go until the phone's initial launch, AppleInsider's sources say that iPhones will be relatively expensive in Europe. Apple is also reportedly pushing international carriers to offer flat-rate data plans instead of selling data access by the kilobit, so the plans will also be pricey. France Telecom's Orange announced the pricing and plans for the iPhone 3G's debut in France on July 17. As we've already told you, Telefonica has announced 300,000 preorders in Spain and the U.K., but an Apple memo claims that no preorders will happen at Apple Stores here in the States, no way no how (Apple can't wait to have another launch-day frenzy on its hands, we're sure). At least one O2 employee has been telling British customers that they'll be able to sign up for -- but not activate -- their iPhone 3G contract before the phone launches on July 11. Then they'd just have to come back on July 11 to buy the phone and activate the contract with a confirmation code. Of course, that O2 employee might be totally wrong, but we certainly hope this is true and that AT&T does something similar in the U.S. so the launch day lines keep moving. Finally, FBR Capital Markets analyst Craig Berger reports that Apple has boosted its iPhone 3G orders to more than 15 million by the end of 2008. Mac orders also up as much as 20 percent. That's a lot of freakin' iPhones. Curiously, the same report says that lower-priced iPod nanos will be coming our way soon as well.
Telefonica announced 300,000 pre-orders for the iPhone 3G in Spain and the United Kingdom. They have allowed customers to go to their websites to reserve the iPhone 3G since it was announced earlier this month. Telefonica will sell the device in twelve Latin American countries, the Czech Republic and Spain on July 11. Telefonica sells the iPhone under the O2 brand in the UK and Ireland.
Apple doesn't send its brave retail employees into the trenches without proper training. To prepare the Apple Army, the company has issued an internal document outlining how to deal with customers on July 11.
Not to be outdone by AT&T’s rumored 8AM iPhone 3G launch in the US, the UK’s O2 is now reportedly set to open their stores at 7AM, an hour earlier than usual, on July 11 to eager customers. This rumor comes second hand from a poster in the Mac Rumors forum who claims to have received the information from an O2 employee. According to the employee, O2 will be signing up customers for iPhone 3G service starting July 1. By July 11, the credit check and service contract would be in place so users can waltz into their local O2 store and pick up their new iPhone. The source also claims that O2 stores will be receiving shipments of 5,000 iPhone 3G’s per location. That’s a mighty number, causing some to question the validity of the source. Although the employee also states that O2 stores received the same number for the original iPhone launch in November. If the winners in this picture are O2 customers, then the losers are the UK Apple stores. Because there is no O2 account activation system and a lack of proper training for employees, Apple may be forced to sell only pre-paid iPhones in their stores. Via AppleInsider
The much anticipated iPhone 3G apparently costs less to make than its predecessor. iSuppli released a report concerning the first round of a preliminary “virtual teardown” of the phone’s hardware and reported that the Bill of Materials (BOM) on the 8GB model is only $173. That is pretty extraordinary considering the next-gen iPhone is loaded with new features and is now well equipped to take advantage of AT&T’s 3G network. 
A source for Gizmodo claims that it's "highly probably" that the iPhone 2.0 operating system Golden Master will be out this Friday. That's two weeks earlier than the iPhone 3G hits the streets and just in the nick of time for Apple to make good on its promise for a June iPhone update. "The iPhone 2.0 operating system Golden Master will follow the release of build 345, which has seen the activation of two code-signing and encryption features not previously available." Although this date is not officially confirmed, Gizmodo's source was confident enough to say that "this is the plan." The 'plan' just might help out the iPhone Dev Team which is working furiously on unlocking the final build before July 11.
The Boy Genius Report got a tip that the iPhone 3G will be launched at 8AM instead of the evening launch favored by Apple during the OG iPhone launch. The early morning launch may be because of the in-store activation issue. No one wants to have their employees working until 5AM the next day activating iPhones. Think of the overtime! If your original plan to leave work and get and iPhone is smashed by this leaked information, we have a few tips to help you call out sick on July 11.
The Times Online warns UK iPhone users of the high price of downloading data outside of the country. Apple’s UK partner, service provider O2, allows unlimited downloads within the country, but once abroad downloading fees are applied. Charges range from £3 (roughly $6) per MB on data downloaded in the EU to £6 in the rest of the world.
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