Christmas has arrived in China as Apple Inc. and the world's largest mobile carrier agreed to sell the iPhone in the country beginning Dec. 25.

The Cupertino-based company and China Mobile announced a multi-year agreement that will bring the iPhone to China. With the deal, Apple's newest smartphones, the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s, will be available across China Mobile's and Apple retail stores beginning Jan. 17, 2014.

Pre-orders for the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s will start, however, on Dec. 25 via a customer service hotline and China Mobile's official website.

"Apple has enormous respect for China Mobile and we are excited to begin working together," said Apple CEO Tim Cook. "China is an extremely important market for Apple and our partnership with China Mobile presents us the opportunity to bring iPhone to the customers of the world's largest network."

"Apple's iPhone is very much loved by millions of customers around the world," said China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua. "We know there are many China Mobile customers and potential new customers who are anxiously awaiting the incredible combination of iPhone on China Mobile's leading network."

"iPhone customers in China are an enthusiastic and rapidly growing group, and we can't think of a better way to welcome in the Chinese New Year than getting an iPhone into the hands of every China Mobile customer who wants one."

The China Mobile chairman noted the iPhones will be available with the carrier's 4G/TD-LTE and 3G/TD-SCDMA networks.

As noted, China Mobile is the world's largest mobile carrier with more than 760 million customers. To put it in perspective, the subscribers for China Mobile are approximately double the entire United States population.

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