Could the iPhone be banned in China?
If it’s classified as a games console, it could
China pretty much has a blanket ban on games consoles, which is one of the reasons online PC gaming and mobile gaming is so popular.
Apple has been readying the iPhone for launch in the region with the largest number of mobile handsets in the world, so this is a significant market for any electronics manufacturer.
With the iPhone drawing ever closer to a Chinese release, the debate is raging as to how the regulator will define the handset - phone or games system.
“A large chunk of the apps downloaded by iPhone users can be classified as game or entertainment categories which makes the iPhone [and] iPod touch a stealthy game console," Chinese games developer Frank Yu tells Gamasutra.
"Depending on how Chinese regulators decide to define the iPhone as a game machine, a phone or an internet appliance will have an impact on how it is regulated or even allowed into the market."
The DS has been allowed into China due to a venture with an electronics manufacturer, but some mobile handsets also face difficulties in the region as both 3G and wi-fi are also prohibited - two other factors the iPhone will have to deal with if Apple wants to put it in the hands of Chinese consumers.
