A source at Sina mirco-blog says China Unicom will introduce the iPad 3G, but no exact time frame has been established.

China Unicom has begun testing the Apple iPad live-video function on a website originally designed for the iPhone. Iphone.wo.com.cn has channels CCTV1 and CCTV both marked “for iPad testing.”

An industry source says China Unicom intends to use the iPad test videos to demonstrate high-end features of the iPad. The iPhone and iPad share software platforms and use identical browsers, however, because of the larger screen and higher resolution, the video-playback function of iPad brings superior quality.

Chang Xiaobing, chairman of China Unicom, had previously expressed interest in introducing the iPad, and Li Gang, deputy general manager, recently said China Unicom is negotiating with Apple to introduce the iPad but no specific date has been determined.

The two iPad versions are the WiFi and 3G plus WiFi. The 3G version uses the WCDMA (Wideband Code-Division Multiple Access) standard network and ensures the compatibility between China Unicom and Apple.

On the other hand, the WiFi version of iPad may not work for the Chinese market because WiFi devices in China must be compatible with China's wireless standard WAPI (WLAN Authentication and Privacy Infrastructure), and Apple may not be willing to compromise or make changes. Moreover, China's WiFi network hasn't been fully developed yet and coverage is limited, while the WCDMA network already serves all urban areas and some villages and towns throughout the country.