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Apple’s iPad Mini And 4th Gen iPad Arrive In China December 7, iPhone 5 Follows December 14

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http://techcrunch.com – Apple has just announced the official release date of the iPad mini, 4th generation iPad and iPhone 5 in China. The tablets will go on sale next Friday, December 7 in that country, and the iPhone 5 will arrive on December 14, a week afterwards. This comes following news that the iPhone 5 has met all the regulatory requirements in China it needed to go on sale. Apple CEO Tim Cook had said that the iPhone 5 would go on sale in China in December during Apple’s most recent quarterly conference call, and that statement was recently backed up by the chairman of China Telecom. Apple doesn&#8217 (IT news)

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Submitted by hwq123 on 11/30/2012

Stories similar to Apple’s iPad Mini And 4th Gen iPad Arrive In China December 7, iPhone 5 Follows December 14

Apple is gearing up for the iPhone 5′s launch in China, tracking down all the necessary certifications it requires ahead of launch, and now the Wall Street Journal is reporting that China Telecom, the country’s third-largest operator, will offer it by early December, if not earlier, echoing statements made by Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Things seem to be on track for the iPhone 5 to meet its December release timeline in Greater China, since the device has now received approval for the final piece in the regulatory puzzle required for it to go on sale.

In Apple’s Q4 earnings call today, Tim Cook today said that Apple had a “fantastic” quarter in Greater China, with revenues at $5.7 billion, up 26% year on year, but actually that revenue was flat on Q3.

China Unicom announced that it received orders for more than 100,000 iPhone 5 units on its first day of pre-sales, according to a report on Sina Tech.

Apple announced today that the Wi-Fi and cellular versions of the iPad mini and the fourth-generation iPad with Retina display will be available in China this Friday.

The iPhone 5 received its final regulatory approval, the crucial “network access license” from China yesterday, but the original report from the Wall Street Journal only found approval for the China Telecom version of the device.

If initial Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone 5 sales are any measure, the vendor appears to be making headway in the China market. Apple disclosed that it sold more than 2 million iPhone 5 smartphones since the unit’s launch on Dec. 14, exceeding its prior product kickoff performances in China.

In mid-December, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) disclosed that it had sold more than 2 million iPhone 5 smartphones in China since the unit’s launch there on Dec. 14, shattering its previous sales records.

The iPhone 5 made its highly-anticipated arrival in China today, but despite strong pre-orders, it remains to be seen whether this will help Apple’s eroding share of the world’s largest smartphone market. Though the iPhone continues to be hugely popular among Chinese consumers, this may not be enough to hold onto the interest of China’s 290 million smartphone users.