BEIJING, Dec. 26 -- China Mobile yesterday started receiving pre-orders of iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C which support the telco’s 4G technology, with each user allowed to order one device with an identity number.

Also from yesterday, more than 700 million China Mobile users were able to apply for SIM cards for 4G services without changing numbers in the local outlets, the telco said.

In Shanghai, users can go to China Mobile outlets across the city if they want to change their SIM cards for new 4G ones. Each card costs 50 yuan (US$8.23) for 600 megabytes of data traffic.

From yesterday, customers were able to order new iPhones supporting China Mobile’s TD-LTE 4G technology on the telco’s website or via its hotline 10086. They will be informed on January 17, two weeks before the Chinese New Year, when the smartphones are available.

But no details of the iPhone price and other information were available yesterday.

China Mobile aims to sell 100 million 4G phones in 2014 and expand 4G services to 340 cities nationwide by the end of next year.

China Mobile has signed 4G deals with more than 10 mobile phone makers, including Samsung, HTC and Xiaomi.

It has also launched its 4G brand called He, which means connection and new dream.