The upcoming iOS 5, for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, looks set to be more accessible for Chinese users, with support for three popular Chinese email services: Tencent’s QQ Mail, and Netease’s 163.com and 126.com mail inboxes.
These three new mail presets will make it a lot easier for Chinese users who don’t use Gmail – ie: the majority of people here – to set up push email on their iPhone when the new iOS is released. Previously, using these – or any other web email service apart from Gmail, Yahoo, or AOL – required hitting the ‘Other’ tab and going along a convoluted trail of manual IMAP server inputs.
Electronista.com noticed the new feature today, following the release of iOS 5 Beta 2 a few days ago. The picture above is my own mock-up, and not a screenshot of the revamped ‘Add Account’ Mail app screen.
Presuming no other Chinese web mail services get added prior to iOS 5 rolling out later this year, then it means Sina has been left out in the cold, which’d be a bit of a blow in its escalating battles with Tencent, whose more popular QQ Mail will be preset into the iPhone and iPad Mail app.
With Apple’s COO, Tim Cook spotted in China Mobile HQ in Beijing this week – and now this added Chinese feature in iOS 5 – there will be more speculation that a China Mobile exclusive iPhone, using that network’s own TD-SCDMA 3G, might be coming this year.
Source: Electronista article about 3G OTA updates and added Chinese mail support in iOS 5 Beta 2.
Stay updated on the go with our mobile app.
Get latest insights with smoother, more personalized experience through TIA mobile app.
