iPhone4 shows Arunachal Pradesh in China

BEIJING: China has got Apple to rig the mapping application in its iPhone4 to show Arunachal Pradesh as part of its territory, according to local media reports. Apple has apparently accepted Beijing's diktat in view of its vast market potential.

"The map that comes along with the new iPhone is censored to comply with the official stance of the Chinese government on border divisions," according to one of the several local web sites and blogs including thebeijinger.com. iPhones sold in China shows Arunachal belongs to China, they said.

New users of iPhones in China also find the equipment is VPN-proof. Virtual private networks used by thousands in China to overcome the problem of censorship is not working in the case of the new phones when users try to access sites providing independent mapping services, reports say.

One blogger advised his readers to replace iPhone's map icon with maps.google.com or simply use Google Earth in order to view reliable maps.