One of the biggest surprises during the Apple event earlier this month was the revelation that China would not be on the list of countries to receive the first wave of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus shipments. A week after launch, the new phones still haven’t even been approved for sale in the most populous country on Earth, but Tencent reported on Tuesday that Apple is finally reaching the last stages of review.
“The iPhone 6 has entered the final stage of the approval process, now it’s just a matter of time,” China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology chief Miao Wei told Tencent. “Netizens, please wait patiently.”
Many analysts had begun to speculate that the iPhone 6 wouldn’t make it to China before 2015, but this report seems to indicate that the approval process will be wrapping up in a matter of days. Miao Wei would not commit to a date, but reiterated that the process would be completed “very soon.” The sooner, the better — once the phones are available in stores and online for reasonable prices, the thriving black market is sure to shrink drastically.
