The iPhone 5 and the latest versions of the iPad will soon be available legally in China. Apple (AAPL) said today that the iPad mini and the newest full-size iPad will go on sale in China December 7. The iPhone 5 will hit the Chinese market a week later.
The iPhone 5 will be available to Chinese consumers directly through Apple and through selected carrier partners. China Telecom is already taking preorders, and China Unicom is expected to follow suit. But there’s no word yet on when China Mobile, the world’s largest mobile operator, will offer the iPhone 5. The iPad and iPad mini will be offered directly through Apple, and only the Wi-Fi versions will be sold in China.
China represents a very important market for Apple; the company says two thirds of its Asia Pacific revenue came from Greater China during the third quarter. Of Apple’s $36 billion in third quarter revenue, $5.7 billion (almost 16%) came from Greater China.
Of course some Chinese already have Apple’s newest devices thanks to the black market. The iPhone 5 went on sale in Hong Kong in September and was smuggled into China almost immediately.
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