If you’ve been following the verbal sparring between Apple and China Mobile’s vocal CEO Wang Jianzhou, PhoneMag has an incredibly detailed analysis of the current battle for what could potentially be the iPhone’s biggest market. 

“There is more than $115 million US Dollars at stake for Apple in China.  [T]he competitors at the table are deadly serious.  And they should be.  They have turf to protect.  Nokia, for one, sold more than 50 million mobile handsets in China during the first 3 quarters of 2007.  Research in Motion (RIM) is another key player.  RIM recently signed a deal with China Mobile to distribute their Blackberry 8700 smart-phone.  RIM has bet big on the China market” Dan Butterfield, PhoneMag

As it stands, speculation about the 3G iPhone may have pushed full disclosure about any deal being brokered between Apple and China Mobile deep into NDA territory.  While that has a benefit in other areas currently selling the original iPhone, it leaves Apple’s competitors (and sellers of unlocked iPhones, which are flourishing) in China relatively free reign.  And delay gives Wang Jianzhou further space to press for a deal better weighted in China Mobile’s favour.

“Research in Motion (RIM) and Microsoft, to be sure, will not be singing Apple praises.  You can also list a few handset manufacturers (Ericsson, Motorola, Samsung, HTC, LG and Meizu) who have their China market-share to protect.  The biggest spoiler in the crowd might be Nokia.  Nokia sells more phones than anyone in the China.  It’s hard to imagine that Nokia will stay silent while China Mobile and Apple play their hand” Dan Butterfield, PhoneMag