After months of uncertainty regarding the iPhone 5's arrival in China, Apple has confirmed that the smartphone will release in the region during December.
Apple confirmed that the Wi-Fi versions of the iPad Mini and the fourth-generation iPad will be available in China come Friday, December 7. The iPhone 5 will launch the following Friday, December 14.
All three Apple products will be available through the company's online store, select Apple resellers and by reservation from Apple retail stores.
Following a long wait for Chinese consumers, it was confirmed in recent days that the iPhone 5 passed its final regulatory examinations in China, which is one of Apple's most valuable markets.
The country accounts for around 15 percent of the company's revenue for its fiscal year that ended in September, equaling about $23.8 billion.
However, researcher Canalys had said during the third quarter, the iPhone's share of shipments into China's smartphone market dropped to 8 percent. Android dominates the market instead with a 90 percent share due to its various price points and diversity.
Apple's tablet market share, meanwhile, is responsible for more than 70 percent of the Chinese market.
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Zak Islam is a freelance writer focusing on security, networking, and general computing. His work also appears at Digital Trends and Tom's Guide.
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bustapr so, whatever happened with the chinese patent holder for the iphone 5 design. any confirmation if apple bought them off?Reply -
surfer1337dude bustaprso, whatever happened with the chinese patent holder for the iphone 5 design. any confirmation if apple bought them off?I was wondering the same thing...Reply -
aznshinobi Reply9433432 said:so, whatever happened with the chinese patent holder for the iphone 5 design. any confirmation if apple bought them off?
Apple paid off the banks that owned the bankrupted patent holder. -
A Bad Day bustaprso, whatever happened with the chinese patent holder for the iphone 5 design. any confirmation if apple bought them off?Reply
The company filed for bankruptcy a while ago, and Apple would've most likely bought the patent. I think it was because they had trouble selling their own products. -
noob2222 it was a rectangle with rounded edges so Apple's iphone 4 patents override any other patent on earth.Reply -
boulbox I don't even know why they would release iPhone overseas, their buy rate is just terrible as there are much better phones.(even the copied iPhone design phone has a better processor than it)Reply -
fuzzion Article failed to mention that the profits of the parent company will be taxed in the US.Reply
America 1 Communist China 0 /yes ! -
xkm121 sheepsnowadaysI think most the sheeps are in the US but could be wrongReply
China get way more iSheeps. Difference is, US iSheep line up in front of a store while Chinese iSheep never forms a line. Not surprising though. With that kind of population, I highly doubt they ever wait in line for anything.