iPhone 6 hits China retailers after Apple wins regulatory approval

Apple has been granted approval to sell the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in China, 11 days after units began flying off the shelves in the UK and US.

 

The Chinese government’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) finally granted Apple a licence to sell its new product in the country, after the technology giant addressed security and data concerns.

 

According to Reuters, MIIT said it had conducted "rigorous security testing" on the iPhone 6, and had held talks with the company.

 

Apple says over 10 million units of the two new iPhones were sold within three days of its availability in other countries around the world.

 

Apple can now begin trading in the world’s largest smartphone market. According to mobile marketing experts MobiBanking, China has over one billion mobile subscriptions.

 

 

However, Apple will face competition from Samsung, which released the Galaxy Note 4 ahead of time last week, and cheaper brands such as Huawei, Lenovo, and Xiaomi.

 

IPhone buyers hoping to make use of its 13-pixel camera on Instagram will be out of luck. China has banned the image-sharing app in a bid to prevent images of the Hong Kong protests proliferating into the mainland.