Filed under: Deals, Consumer experience, Apple Inc (AAPL), China, iPhone, China Mobile Limited (CHL)

The head of China Mobile (NYSE: CHL), by far the largest cellular carrier in the world, indicated that he is talking with Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) about marketing the iPhone. MarketWatch reports that the two companies “would have to iron out differences over revenue sharing.”

China Mobile currently has about 350 million subscribers, so a deal with Apple could boost the consumer electronics company’s stock to even higher levels than its recent record peak. But a deal with China Mobile might bear very different results from those in the U.S. and Europe.

With the iPhone priced at just below $400, it may be an item that users in the West can afford. It remains to be seen whether the expensive handset’s appeal would be strong in China. But there is a large middle class in the country, and that could drive demand.

Apple will open its first retail store in China soon. It does have modest sales for iPods and Macs there. One of the things that could undercut the company’s effort to sell iPhones is that counterfeiters have already created their own versions, which are much less expensive than the real thing.

But, knowing Apple, the financial onus for selling the handset will be on China Mobile, with the U.S. company getting a cut of the calling plan revenue. So Apple has very little to lose.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

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