The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have both been approved for sale in China by its government and will be available from mid-October.
China wasn’t on the initial launch territories list for the new Apple devices – the delay was due to the Ministry for Industry and Information Technology not providing a license for the devices to use wireless networks.
Now that the license has been approved, it has become much more difficult for tech smugglers to turn a profit. Previously, they have been selling iPhone 6 handsets bought elsewhere in the world for up to 7 times the retail price.
Apple will see the approval as a weight off of its shoulders as they’ll now have increased access to this vast market. Apple has already opened a number of Apple stores in China in the last few months. Apple have confirmed that Chinese consumers will be able to pre-order their new iPhones from as early as October 10 directly from the Apple Store.
Official Statement
Earlier today, Tim Cook discussed the announcement: “We are thrilled to bring iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus to our customers in China on all three carriers at launch. With support for TD-LTE and FDD-LTE, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus customers will have access to high-speed mobile networks from China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom for an incredible experience.”
The iPhone 6 has already proven to be the company’s fastest-selling iPhone(s) to date, and the brand remains ever popular in the Chinese market. Apple has confirmed that reservations can also be made on October 14 before both devices go on sale 3 days later.