Apple has announced that its new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus smartphones will launch in China on Friday, October 17. Besides the company's online and retail stores, the devices will also be available at China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom stores. Customers can pre-order the new iPhones from the Apple Online Store beginning Friday, October 10.
"We are thrilled to bring iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus to our customers in China on all three carriers at launch", said Apple's CEO Tim Cook. "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 4.7-inch iPhone 6 is priced at 5,288 RMB ($860) for the 16GB model, 6,088 RMB ($990) for the 64GB model, and 6,888 RMB ($1120) for the 128GB model, while the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus is priced at 6,088 RMB ($990), 6,888 RMB ($1120), and 7,788 RMB ($1264) for the 16, 64, and 128GB models. Both the iPhones will be available in gold, silver, and space gray colors.
The announcement comes after Apple received approval from Chinese regulators who scrutinized the devices for potential security risks. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) issued the network access licenses, which is the final step in the approval process, after Apple addressed the privacy issues found in a government agency's safety test.
Both the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus went on sale in the US on September 19. Three days later, Apple revealed that it sold more than 10 million iPhones in its opening weekend, surpassing the previous record of nine million with the launch of last year's iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c.