Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus rumored to be launched in China on Oct. 10
Apple is set to start selling the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus in China on Friday, Oct. 10.
That’s according to an internal memo (see below) leaked from a Chinese retail store and obtained by TechWeb, which indicates the aforementioned date for the launch of Apple’s new flagship smartphones, with three days prior, Oct. 7, as the start of retail staff training concerning the new devices.
As reported earlier this month, the launch of the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus in China, which is Apple’s biggest market, had been delayed by regulatory setbacks. But yesterday, China’s regulatory agency, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, was quoted as saying that it’s “just a matter of time” before the devices would gain approval for sale in the country.
Unlike with last year’s launch for the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c, China was not included in the first group of countries where the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus were released last Sept. 19. Yesterday saw the second wave of countries for the handsets’ launch, which still didn’t include China.
If the newly leaked document is to be believed, Apple may finally, officially start selling the devices on Oct. 10.
Apple’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 to be launched in China on Oct. 10?
As noted by AppleInsider, the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus are expected to be priced starting at ¥5,288 ($863) and ¥6,288 ($1,026), respectively. But according to a report by Bloomberg from yesterday, their prices may double since carriers are reportedly being pressured by regulators to cut subsidies for phone buyers.
As they’re not yet officially available in China, the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus are being sold in the country’s black market for as much as ¥11,641 ($1,900) and ¥19,912 ($3,250), respectively.
Apple’s new smartphones were launched on Sept. 19 in the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, and the U.K. They were released yesterday in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.