Apple receives one of two regulatory licenses needed to sell iPhone 6 models in China
The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus go on sale in 10 countries across the globe tomorrow, with a second launch phase slated to begin two weeks later.
What we don't know yet, though, is when Apple's next-gen iPhone models will land in China, the company's fastest growing market. According to initial reports, the iPhone launch in China was in flux as Apple still hadn't attained the requisite regulatory approval from Chinese authorities.
Now comes word via Reuters claiming that Apple has received one of the necessary two licenses it needs to start stocking the iPhone 6 in China.
Apple is still awaiting a critical license from Chinese regulators before it can sell its new iPhone 6 in one of the company's most important markets.
The official Xinhua news agency said on Thursday that Apple's new iPhone had been given regulatory approval for use on domestic frequencies, but the phone cannot be sold in China until a key network license is granted. The Xinhua report did not indicate when this is likely to happen.
Apple thus far hasn't made any comment on the situation, but one has to imagine that this has the full attention of Apple executives. Underscoring the importance of the Chinese market to Apple, consider this: Tim Cook, while discussing Apple's third-quarter earnings results this past July, said that iPhone growth in China increased by 26% year over year compared to just 6% in Europe. China Mobile alone -- the world's largest carrier by a mile -- has close to 800 million subscribers, most of whom do not own iPhones.
